WALES

Devolution of Powers: Referendum

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the outcome of the referendum on devolving primary law-making powers to the National Assembly for Wales.

Cheryl Gillan: I refer my hon. Friend to my earlier answer to the hon. Member for Woking (Jonathan Lord) and the hon. Member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire (Simon Hart).

National Laboratory Services

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the future of the Environment Agency's national laboratory services located in Wales.

David Jones: The Secretary of State and I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on a range of issues.
	DEFRA is currently reviewing its science agencies to examine sustainable business models and the potential for more efficient operations. The review includes the Environment Agency's National Laboratory Service. I sympathise with the staff Involved for whom this must be a worrying time but note that the Environment Agency is committed to the future of the Llanelli laboratory.

Rail Electrification: West Wales

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with Ministers in the Welsh Assembly Government on the implications for the economy of west Wales of the Government's proposed programme of rail electrification.

Cheryl Gillan: I have had regular discussions with Ministers in the Welsh Assembly Government and with fellow cabinet members on the benefits of rail electrification for all of south and west Wales.
	We have worked hard to create a robust business case for this part of the electrification of our rail network. This is why I believe that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport's announcement on St David's Day of the electrification of the Great Western Main Lines was excellent news for all parts of south and west Wales.

Cardiff-Maesteg Railway Line: Electrification

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with the  (a) Welsh Assembly Government and  (b) Secretary of State for Transport on electrification of the Cheltenham to Maesteg railway line; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), and I have had numerous discussions with both our ministerial colleagues and Assembly Government Ministers about the electrification of railway lines in Wales over recent months.
	Following the announcement on St David's Day by the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), regarding the Great Western mainline, we now intend to work with the Welsh Assembly Government to develop a full business case for further electrification within South Wales.
	The Government's policy is to support the progressive electrification of the railway. Both the Secretaries of State for Wales and Transport will continue to keep the business case for further electrification of the Great Western Mainline beyond Cardiff under review.

Departmental Public Bodies

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which public bodies sponsored by her Department  (a) have been and  (b) are to be closed, merged or reorganised following her appointment; and how many (i) women and (ii) men who are public appointees at each body will no longer hold such an appointment in consequence.

David Jones: The Wales Office does not sponsor any public bodies.
	The coalition Government are committed to increasing the accountability of public bodies, and this involves reducing their number and their cost to the taxpayer. The proposals for the majority of bodies across all Departments was announced and published on 14 October 2010. An updated list reflecting changes since October 2010 has been published on the Cabinet Office website this month.
	Summary information on public appointments is published annually by the Cabinet Office. This includes data on gender. Copies of the most recent report can be downloaded from
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/ndpb

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Health: Finance

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the budget of the Animal Health Agency  (a) was in each of the last five years and  (b) will be in each of the next four years.

James Paice: holding answer 15 March 2011
	Animal Health's budget has been and is projected to be as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006-07 101.4 
			 2007-08 116.5 
			 2008-09 148.8 
			 2009-10 153.7 
			 2010-11 136.7 
			 2011-12 121.0 
			 2012-13 116.0 
			 2013-14 110.9 
			 2014-15 105.8

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish a bovine TB eradication programme for England.

James Paice: We received a large number of responses to our consultation on a badger control policy, which we are considering carefully. This is a difficult and sensitive issue and we need to get it right. We will announce our decision as part of a comprehensive and balanced TB Eradication Programme for England as soon as possible.

Carbon Emissions: Business

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 30 November 2010,  Official Report, column 68WS, on greenhouse gas emissions, when she expects to make an announcement on her Department's plans for the introduction of mandatory carbon reporting for businesses;
	(2)  what recent assessment she has made of her Department's ability to meet the deadline for the introduction of regulations on carbon reporting for businesses set out in Section 85 of the Climate Change Act;
	(3)  what recent assessment she has made of the potential benefits for companies and investors of comprehensive and transparent company reporting on carbon emissions.

James Paice: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is currently considering options for a public consultation on company reporting of greenhouse gas emissions which we will aim to launch before the end of May.
	The introduction of regulations by 6 April 2012 will depend on a number of factors including a decision that the introduction of regulations is the best option.
	In November 2010 the Secretary of State laid a report before Parliament that considered the potential benefits of reporting for both companies and investors. The report can be accessed on the DEFRA website at:
	www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/reporting/pdf/corporate-reporting101130.pdf

Environment Agency

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the future of the Environment Agency.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has reviewed all its arm's length bodies as part of Government's commitment to radically increase accountability, improve efficiency and reduce costs of public services. It has been concluded that the Environment Agency should be retained and substantially reformed.
	DEFRA has been working closely with the Agency to develop a package of measures spanning structural, process and cultural change, continuing to transform them into a leaner, more efficient front line delivery body that is focused on Government's ambitions for the environment and green economy.

Food: Origin Marking

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the draft Regulation on food labelling adopted by the Council of Ministers on 21 February 2011; and whether it reflects the Government's policies on country of origin food labelling.

James Paice: The UK has been actively involved in EU negotiations on the new regulation for food labelling, the Food Information Regulation.
	We have been pressing for improved origin labelling in negotiations and have successfully included in the current text an extension making origin labelling compulsory to all fresh meat with the possibility, subject to a review, of extending origin labelling for other foods. We have also secured a requirement for origin information to be given for main ingredients when origin claims are made on food products (eg the origin of the steak in a steak pie labelled as made in the UK).
	EU member states have reached political agreement on this text and it will now be sent to the European Parliament for further consideration. We are not expecting the regulation to be adopted and published until early 2012. In the meantime, we continue to work with the food industry, retailers and others to encourage better labelling. Indeed, I am pleased that food industry launched its own voluntary principles on origin labelling on 24 November 2010. These principles have been agreed by trade associations representing manufacturers, retailers and the food service sector (British Retail Consortium, Food and Drink Federation, British Hospitality Association, Dairy UK, British Meat Processors Association). All of the major supermarkets have signed up to this approach. We will be carrying out an evaluation of the effectiveness of these voluntary principles for meat and dairy products over the next few months to provide a baseline for future assessments of the effectiveness of the voluntary approach to origin information.

Food: Production

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many certified organic arable food producers there were in Kent in each of the last 10 years.

James Paice: DEFRA collates organics data which can only be split by crop or livestock producers. It has only been possible to provide this data at a county level since 2008 due to improvements in methodology. Table 1 following shows the number of certified organic crop producers and crop producer/processors in Kent in 2008 and 2009.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of crop producers and processors in Kent 
			Numbers 
			   2008  2009 
			 Crop producers 61 64 
			 Crop producer/processors 7 5 
			  Source: Organic Certifier Bodies collated by DEFRA Statistics

Forestry

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will ensure that sport and recreation organisations are represented on her proposed independent advisory panel on forestry.

James Paice: The panel's membership is still being considered. It will include representatives of key environmental and access organisations, alongside representatives of the forestry industry. It will need to draw on a broad range of expertise to inform its work.

Forestry Commission: Public Finance

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent from the public purse on the consultation on the proposed disposal of Forestry Commission land.

James Paice: holding answer 2 March 2011
	DEFRA and the Forestry Commission used existing staff to prepare the consultation process and produce the consultation document. The cost to DEFRA was £2,952 for the production of the consultation. The cost to the Forestry Commission was £5,640 for planning stakeholder events and preparing accompanying material.

National Wildlife Crime Unit: Finance

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2011,  Official Report, column 177W, on the National Wildlife Crime Unit: finance, when she plans to announce the funding to be provided to the National Wildlife Crime Unit in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 15 March 2011
	 DEFRA has confirmed funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit for a further two years.

Timber

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will set targets to limit the use of high grade timber for energy production;
	(2)  what her policy is on the use of high grade timber for energy production.

Charles Hendry: I have been asked to reply.
	We do not support the use of core timber for energy and do not expect significant quantities of high grade timber to be used as more cost-effective types of wood are available. As announced last week, should evidence show that the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme is resulting in a diversion of high grade timber into heat generation, measures will be introduced to prevent this.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Females

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what method his Department uses to assess the effectiveness of his Department's projects designed to assist women and girls.

Andrew Mitchell: The coalition Government are committed to putting girls and women at the heart of our development assistance.
	On 8 March the Department for International Development (DFID) launched its new strategic vision for girls and women, which sets out four pillars for greater and more effective action to improve and transform the lives of girls and women. Country offices will report against a range of indicators in order to monitor progress towards this goal and evaluate the effectiveness of our programmes.
	DFID continues to mainstream gender issues across all our programmes and indicators to measure their impact on girls and women are regularly assessed. We use sex-disaggregated and gender sensitive indicators to measure the benefits to women, girls, boys and men whenever possible, and the impact of our programmes on these groups are formally assessed in annual reviews. Innovative approaches that directly involve girls and women in designing interventions, monitoring and evaluating progress will also be encouraged by my Department.

Developing Countries: Females

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what mechanisms his Department use to  (a) regulate and  (b) evaluate microfinance projects supported by his Department.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) works through specialist partners to strengthen the regulation of the microfinance sector globally, regionally and at country level. For example, DFID funds the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), which has supported the development of new guidelines by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision on the regulation of depository microfinance; partnered with the West African Central Bank to harmonise the microfinance laws of its eight member nations; and provided technical advice to the Government of Afghanistan for regulating e-money transfers.
	All microfinance projects funded by DFID must demonstrate how funding will be used to reduce poverty. All programmes are reviewed annually to track performance against set indicators-including income, assets, consumption, and business growth-and on completion to evaluate development impact. External evaluations such as the Pakistan Microfinance Network's "The Impact of Microcredit: A Summary of Evidence from Pakistan" (October 2010) also provide independent assessments of DFID-funded microfinance projects.

Developing Countries: Microfinance

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 396-7W, on developing countries: microfinance, what tools will be included in the toolkit to strengthen the design, implementation and measurement of programmes to empower women through improved financial inclusion.

Andrew Mitchell: The toolkit, which will be published in May 2011, provides a range of technical diagrams, checklists, indicators and other information to assist practitioners develop and monitor financial services to enhance women's financial inclusion and contribute to their empowerment. These tools are designed to encourage practitioners to analyse the factors that impact on women's access to financial service; identifying target groups and actions to address gender based barriers; and develop relevant indicators to measure different dimensions of women's financial inclusion.

Developing Countries: Microfinance

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on the effectiveness of his Department's microfinance projects.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) has received 18 parliamentary questions on microfinance since the beginning of 2011. Ten of these questions specifically related to the effectiveness of microfinance projects funded by DFID in alleviating poverty, increasing women's empowerment and improving financial sustainability in developing countries.
	The Under-Secretary of State for International Development, the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr O'Brien), met with representatives of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Microfinance on 2 March 2011 to discuss DFID's microfinance strategy. DFID will participate in the oral evidence session of the APPG on Microfinance's Global Inquiry on Microfinance in early April. DFID will also shortly publish the results of a public consultation on the Microfinance Capacity Building Facility for Africa, which received over 400 responses.

Pakistan: Overseas Aid

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) projects and  (b) organisations in Pakistan his Department funded in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: In 2009-10 the Department for International Development (DFID) spent £140.4 million in Pakistan. 33% of this was spent on humanitarian programmes; 20% on governance; 18% on education; 15% supporting economic growth; 8% on health programmes; 5% on social services; and 1% on other programmes. The most up to date information on all of our projects in Pakistan, including implementing partners, is available on DFID's Projects Database on the Department's website:
	http://projects.dfid.gov.uk

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts Council England: Operating Costs

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England spent on administration in 2009-10.

Edward Vaizey: Arts Council England has supplied in the table 2009-10 spend on administration:
	
		
			  Administration  £000 
			 Operating costs 45,577 
			 Fundamental reorganisation costs 2,472 
			 Total 48,049

Arts Council England: Pay

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much was paid in bonuses to staff by Arts Council England in 2009-10.

Edward Vaizey: Arts Council England inform us that the amount paid in bonuses to staff in 2009-10 was approximately £133,731.

Arts: Finance

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England provided in grants per head of population to projects in each parliamentary constituency in the Greater London authority area in 2009-10.

Edward Vaizey: Arts Council England has supplied the information in the table for their projects spend 2009-10 per head in each Greater London authority. The population figures are sourced from "2002-2008 Revised Mid-Year Population Estimates", a Greater London authority (GLA) Intelligence Update published by the Data Management and Analysis Group Demography Team, GLA, June 2010.
	
		
			  Constituency (as listed in 2008)  Population  Grants for the arts (£)  Regularly funded organisations (£)  Total (£)  Per head (£) 
			 City and East 652,000 2,049,126 11,970,081 14,019,207 21.50 
			 Barnet and Camden 564,600 1,421,788 10,457,933 11,879,721 21.04 
			 Bexley and Bromley 533,000 97,667 0 97,667 0.18 
			 Brent and Harrow 479,900 382,273 1,419,426 1,801,699 3.75 
			 Croydon and Sutton 530,700 104,998 199,167 304,165 0.57 
			 Ealing and Hillingdon 570,200 172,417 584,014 756,431 1.33 
			 Enfield and Haringey 514,300 519,188 391,817 911,005 1.77 
			 Greenwich and Lewisham 485,700 590,593 1,973,430 2,564,023 5.28 
			 North East 622,700 3,398,785 20,958,084 24,356,869 39.11 
			 West Central 586,300 2,309,236 66,990,505 69,299,741 118.20 
			 Havering and Redbridge 496,100 81,371 329,519 410,890 0.83 
			 South West 582,000 153,962 2,798,150 2,952,112 5.07 
			 Lambeth and Southwark 564,400 2,203,936 58,902,622 61,106,558 108.27 
			 Merton and Wandsworth 486,500 891,720 2,498,909 3,390,629 6.97 
			 Greater London total 7,668,400 14,377,060 179,473,657 193,850,717 25.28

Sky News

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport who will be responsible for monitoring the independence of Sky News in the next decade; who will be responsible for recruiting Sky News editorial staff; whether the bundling of content from News Corporation newspapers and Sky News will be permitted; and what steps the board of Sky News would be required to take if it wished to sell Sky News or allow BSkyB to increase its shareholding.

Jeremy Hunt: holding answer 15 March 2011
	The proposed undertakings in lieu would be given to me as the Secretary of State and under the relevant statutory framework I have power to enforce them. Under the undertakings, the directors of Sky News (of which a majority are independent, including the Chairman), are responsible for ensuring the independence of Sky News. The requirement is embedded in the constitution of the new company, which of course the directors must uphold in accordance with their duties under company law. Transparency of Sky News' independence is secured by the undertakings' requiring that the editorial committee report on it in the annual report.
	The undertakings require that the Board, which of course has a majority of independent directors and an independent chairman, approve the appointment of the Head of Sky News. It is envisaged that he or she will recruit the other editorial staff.
	Competition aspects of the proposed merger were considered and approved by the European Commission. As a result of the proposed undertakings, the possibility of bundling content from News Corporation newspapers with Sky News content would not be changed by the merger.
	In the first 10 years, any increase in News Corp's shareholding in Sky News would have to be agreed by me-or my successor. I would carefully consider it taking into account all relevant considerations at the time. If Sky News were to be sold to any other media enterprise, or anyone with other interest in the media were to purchase Sky News shares, this could potentially trigger another public interest intervention.

Tourism

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what mechanism he plans to put in place to evaluate the effectiveness of his tourism strategy.

Jeremy Hunt: holding answer 15 March 2011
	Indicators to measure the performance of our tourism policies are being developed. Over the next four years, we are also aiming to attract 4 million extra visitors to Britain, £2 billion additional expenditure and create 50,000 jobs through the new £100 million overseas tourism marketing fund; increase the proportion of UK residents who holiday in the UK to match those who holiday abroad each year which, for longer stays, would mean an increase from 20% to 29%; and improve the sector's productivity to become one of the top five most efficient and competitive visitor economies in the world.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on  (a) salaries and  (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date.

David Mundell: I refer the hon. Member to the statement on the Cabinet Office website, published on 10 March 2011, which lists special advisers' pay bands, actual salaries if £58,200 or higher, and an estimate of the total pay bill costs for 2010-11. The estimated pay bill costs include pension costs. Details of pension arrangements are set out in the 'Model Contract for Special Advisers'.
	The aforementioned Cabinet Office statement can be viewed via the following link:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases

Glasgow Children's Heart Surgery Unit

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of those who received treatment at the Glasgow Children's Heart Surgery Unit were normally resident in England in the last three years.

David Mundell: Health is a matter devolved to the Scottish Government and therefore this request should be directed to the NHS Information Services Division at:
	Gyle Square
	1 South Gyle Crescent
	Edinburgh
	EH12 9EB
	Telephone: 0131 275 7777.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Big Society Bank

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the operation of the big society bank in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: This matter has been discussed at the informal ministerial group on the big society and decentralisation of which I am a member. However, the operational details are still the subject of discussion.
	I also refer the hon. Lady to the answer provided on 2 March 2011,  Official Report, column 285, to the hon. Member for Foyle (Mark Durkan), by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude).

Departmental Land

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to reduce the size of his Department's estate; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: My Department has already taken steps to reduce its accommodation in both London and Belfast and will continue to look for opportunities to minimise accommodation costs.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent on  (a) salaries and  (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date.

Hugo Swire: I refer the hon. Member to the statement on the Cabinet Office website regarding special advisers pay:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
	The estimated pay bill includes pension costs. Details of pension arrangements are set out in the "Model contract for Special Advisers" which is also available on the Cabinet Office website.

Elections

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what support his Department is providing to the Northern Ireland Executive in preparing for the  (a) Northern Ireland Assembly and  (b) local elections in 2011.

Hugo Swire: Elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly and District Councils in Northern Ireland are excepted matters. The UK Government, not the Northern Ireland Executive, is therefore responsible for these elections and the chief electoral officer for Northern Ireland is appointed by the Secretary of State to administer all elections in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Office has worked very closely with the chief electoral officer in planning for the May 2011 elections, including ensuring that the legal framework is updated and that proper funding is made available, and will continue to do so in the coming weeks ahead.

Irish Language

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will hold discussions with the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland on the introduction of legislative proposals on the Irish language.

Hugo Swire: The Government remain committed to working, as appropriate, with the Northern Ireland Executive on language issues. The Northern Ireland (St. Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 made statutory provision in relation to the Northern Ireland Executive's duty to adopt a strategy setting out how it proposes to enhance and protect the development of the Irish and Ulster Scots languages.

Irish Language

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he has made on the commitment made in the St Andrews Agreement on introduction of an Irish Language Act.

Hugo Swire: Since the restoration of devolution in May 2007, language issues are now mainly the responsibility of the devolved Administration. The Government remain committed to working, as appropriate, with the Northern Ireland Executive on language issues and have made a significant commitment to increasing the availability of the Irish language station TG4 in Northern Ireland by the end of 2012.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Bus Services: Concessions

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on the potential effects on shire county councils of changes to funding for concessionary fares.

Bob Neill: We have received a series of representations. To reflect representations we have received, the final Local Government Finance Settlement provides a further £10 million to compensate shire districts for their loss of concessionary travel funding following the transfer of responsibility to shire counties.

Council Tax

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2010,  Official Report, column 569W, on public expenditure, how many households not in receipt of council tax benefit paid council tax in 2009-10.

Bob Neill: The number of households not in receipt of council tax benefit in England, who paid council tax, was estimated from the Family Resources Survey to be 17.4 million in 2008-09.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what regulations his Department introduced between 24 November 2010 and 8 February 2011;
	(2)  what regulations his Department removed between 24 November 2010 and 8 February 2011.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government is committed to removing bureaucracy and unnecessary burdens contained within existing secondary legislation and other forms of regulation.
	In this context, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr Redwood) of 24 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 304-05W, illustrating how the core programme of the Department is deregulatory.
	Subsequent to that answer:
	We have scrapped planning rules which forced up parking charges and imposed artificial caps on parking spaces in new homes.
	We have made changes to the regulations governing Homes in Multiple Occupation to allow areas experiencing problems with Homes in Multiple Occupation to put in place local solutions without imposing unnecessary burdens on the whole of the country.
	We have cut red tape to make it easier for communities to hold street parties for the Royal Wedding.
	The Localism Bill has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill seeks to achieve a substantial and lasting shift in power away from central Government and towards local people. Reducing bureaucracy is one of the key aims of this Bill and we have committed to a number of bold and transformative measures in order to achieve this aim.
	We have also carried out an extensive review to identify the changes that are needed to Building Regulations and are working up detailed proposals for consultation towards the end of this year, taking forward the spending review 2010 commitment to reduce the overall regulatory burden on house-builders.
	We are also working to remove bureaucratic barriers that hold back local action, and have opened up a 'Barrier Busting' website for communities to identify them.
	All future regulations will be developed in full compliance with the Government's one-in, one-out rules-meaning that new regulatory burdens we impose on businesses will be given full consideration to ensure that the costs being imposed are offset by reductions in the overall cost of regulation imposed by the Department.
	In the period from 24 November 2010 to 8 February 2011, we have introduced 19 new statutory instruments. Although these are 'regulations' in the technical sense of the word, many of these are deregulatory in function and intent, and others are purely technical with no adverse impact whatsoever on business or local government. A table with details of the statutory instruments that have been introduced has been placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Regulation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how many occasions his Department has consulted representatives of small businesses on the effects of proposed new regulations since 6 May 2010.

Andrew Stunell: My Department places great importance on consulting businesses when developing new regulatory and deregulatory proposals. That is why DCLG's consultations go further than just publishing a formal consultation on our website.
	DCLG adopts an approach of regular, and early, engagement with our external partners, including small business and their representative bodies. This helps us gather industry views on our proposals, including the introduction of new regulations, before they are taken forward.
	For example, in 2010 we invited the public and industry to submit their ideas and evidence on ways to improve the Building Regulations, on ways of reducing the associated regulatory burdens, and on ways to deliver even better levels of compliance. We received over 200 emails, in addition to the contributions we received on the Cabinet Office's 'Your Freedom' website and the Department's own 'Cut Red Tape' website. These contributions, together with those gained from a variety of events we hosted and attended with organisations and representative bodies, informed the ongoing programme of work to review the Building Regulations that was announced on 16 December 2010,  Official Report, columns 114-15WS. Officials continue to engage with external partners as they develop further the options that will be considered for consultation later this year.
	My officials also keep an open dialogue with external partners affected by our regulations. Unfortunately, this informal approach, because of its very nature, does however mean that records of engagement are not held.

Domestic Waste: Complaints

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what complaints on the frequency of household waste collections the Local Government Ombudsman has considered in the last three years; and what the Ombudsman's finding was in each case.

Bob Neill: In 2010, the Ombudsman considered 42 complaints relating to household waste collections, of which 31 were not proceeded with, for example because of insufficient evidence. In the remaining 11 cases the council addressed the problem to the satisfaction of the Ombudsman before he issued a formal report.
	In 2009, the Ombudsman considered 26 such complaints of which 17 were not proceeded with and in nine cases the problem was addressed. Corresponding figures for 2008 are 54 complaints-42 not proceeded with and 12 cases where the problem was addressed.

Government Offices for the Regions: Redundancy

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his Department's policy is on measures to avoid compulsory redundancies arising from closure of the Government Office Network; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: DCLG, working with all Government office sponsor Departments, and following the in principle decision to close the Government offices for the regions in July 2010, has put in place the following measures to avoid or minimise any compulsory redundancies which may arise from the closure of the Government offices for the regions:
	(i) Access to job search facilities and support and career counselling in each Government office;
	(ii) Priority status to apply for vacancies across the civil service in advance of the formal decision to close the government offices for the regions in October 2010;
	(iii) The opportunity to apply for a voluntary release and a separate voluntary redundancy scheme;
	(iv) Exclusive access, in the first instance, to apply for those posts which were or are currently carried out in Government offices and which will continue in other Government Departments after the closure of the Government offices for the regions;
	(v) The opportunity for one to one meetings for staff to set out their views and preferences.
	In addition DCLG has developed an innovative and new 'redundancy swaps' scheme which it is actively promoting across the civil service which will fund the voluntary release of staff in other Departments in exchange for that Department offering a post to a Government office member of staff. In the event that it proves necessary to issue formal notices of redundancy, every effort will continue to be made, throughout any notice period, to redeploy those staff who wish to remain in civil service employment.

Local Government Finance

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been paid to each local authority in planning grant in financial year 2010-11.

Bob Neill: Planning Delivery Grant was paid over the period 2003-04 to 2007-08 which was superseded by Housing and Planning Delivery Grant; this was last paid in financial year 2009-10.
	In 2010-11, four local authorities received £25,000 per authority under the Sector Led Support Programme to support the delivery of local plans:
	Newark and Sherwood district council
	Stockport metropolitan borough council
	Braintree district council
	South Gloucestershire council.
	This programme has now ended.
	The spending review has allocated almost £1 billion of central funding to support the New Homes Bonus.

Planning

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to increase the efficiency of the planning process for large infrastructure projects.

Greg Clark: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement on 10 March 2011,  Official Report, column 72-73WS, which is available in the Library of the House.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department issues on  (a) the responsibilities for maintenance of roads, drains and associated services on new housing developments,  (b) the circumstances in which services should be adapted by local authorities and  (c) responsibility for such services when firms which operate them enter receivership.

Norman Baker: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government do not issue guidance on these issues. A wide range of approaches may be appropriate for different developments, and these are primarily matters for housing developers and their customers. We would advise potential buyers to investigate these issues carefully before buying a home on a new development.
	The Highways Act 1980 contains provisions detailing responsibilities for maintenance of roads by highway authorities, and powers for them to adopt new streets. Which streets are adopted by highway authorities is a matter for them to decide.
	Responsibility for individual house drains on new housing developments remains with the home owner. Currently developers of new housing developments may enter into voluntary agreements with the appropriate water company to have certain defined sewers adopted. In such cases each water company defines its own requirements.

Sports: Finance

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if he will put in place measures to ensure that the reduction in funding for local authorities will not result in the closure of local sports and leisure facilities;
	(2)  if he will put in place measures to ensure that the reduction in funding for local authorities will not result in a rise in  (a) discretionary rates paid by sports and leisure clubs  (b) charges for entry and  (c) fees for hiring facilities.

Bob Neill: Local authorities are democratically elected and, as such, they are independent from central Government and are responsible for their own finances. It is for individual councils, in consultation with their communities, to decide on what local sports and leisure facilities to provide according to local circumstances.
	The Government have urged councils not to increase charges as "an easy" alternative to cutting back on waste and making back office savings. A sensible approach would ensure that local people support creative trading, particularly when it helps to protect other services, or keep council tax bills down.
	The Government recognise the benefits of local sport facilities. The Inspired Facilities strand of the mass participation Olympic Legacy programme will see the investment of £50 million lottery funding to help upgrade local sports facilities. The first of five £10 million funding rounds will be launched in the summer.
	We would also encourage every club to consider registering as a Community Amateur Sports Club. The scheme has provided valuable funding to sports clubs which allows them to benefit from certain tax reliefs, similar to those normally given to charities.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Burglary

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to help reduce the incidence of burglary.

James Brokenshire: Cutting crime, including burglary, is the core responsibility of the police. By cutting bureaucracy and red tape we are reducing the burden on the police to focus on tackling those crimes, such as burglary, which matter most to their communities.
	We know that some opportunistic burglaries may be preventable, so we have made advice on burglary prevention available directly to members of the public via online crime maps and the Directgov website and through partners in the voluntary sector. We are also updating the good practice available for frontline staff.

Driving Offences: Speed Limits

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) convictions,  (b) cautions and  (c) fixed penalty notices were issued to people arrested for speeding offences in each police force area in each year since 1997.

James Brokenshire: Data from 1997 to 2008 (latest available) on fixed penalty notices issued for speeding offences in each police force area are provided in table A.
	Data for fixed penalty notices issued in 2009 are due to be published in April 2011.
	Data provided by the Ministry of Justice, showing the number of convictions for speeding offences can be viewed in table B.
	Cautions are not issued by the police for speeding offences.
	
		
			  Table A: Number of fixed penalty notices issued for speed limit offences by police force area, England and Wales, 1997 to 2008 
			  Total FPNS for speed limit offences 
			  Police force  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002 
			 Avon and Somerset 7,294 18,327 25,897 36,122 30,339 53,846 
			 Bedfordshire 8,700 10,255 18,008 16,707 13,415 40,338 
			 Cambridgeshire 14,837 13,818 14,562 8,708 6,777 15,435 
			 Cheshire 10,765 23,196 16,393 15,356 16,694 13,578 
			 Cleveland 3,239 10,734 7,717 23,228 24,160 25,264 
			 Cumbria 4,882 4,919 5,058 4,103 3,649 5,797 
			 Derbyshire 17,438 22,785 21,771 18,291 24,949 71,965 
			 Devon and Cornwall 36,150 32,757 33,682 28,091 33,389 31,144 
			 Dorset 11,172 14,738 14,815 18,305 19,605 18,686 
			 Durham 3,213 3,930 4,586 9,180 14,156 7,697 
			 Dyfed-Powys 6,708 9,272 8,222 8,840 6,868 12,343 
			 Essex 48,123 19,282 38,097 56,010 87,038 101,063 
			 Gloucestershire 6,260 8,714 6,268 5,781 4,097 3,898 
			 Greater Manchester 54,694 51,145 64,318 59,765 50,448 35,861 
			 Gwent 5,263 4,214 2,050 16,518 13,209 2,960 
			 Hampshire 27,460 34,555 46,709 27,566 28,995 31,867 
			 Hertfordshire 17,604 14,063 25,687 23,956 23,474 23,203 
			 Humberside 9,735 13,759 12,671 22,209 17,228 13,399 
			 Kent 28,706 28,009 18,954 24,617 23,044 36,645 
			 Lancashire 23,813 32,810 35,335 29,683 27,993 158,163 
			 Leicestershire 5,612 9,729 8,791 8,094 7,750 17,903 
			 Lincolnshire 6,588 12,368 17,913 26,319 31,487 27,490 
			 London, City of 520 907 2,423 353 713 4,782 
			 Merseyside 11,808 15,373 15,968 7,385 4,100 6,484 
			 Metropolitan Police 45,488 36,690 32,061 54,843 58,412 53,334 
			 Norfolk 4,895 5,379 9,267 4,783 5,166 17,116 
			 North Wales 9,146 9,920 11,141 16,980 20,245 44,459 
			 North Yorkshire 11,679 9,924 6,908 5,295 7,436 5,412 
			 Northamptonshire 3,722 8,836 7,772 34,809 79,627 60,459 
			 Northumbria 25,693 34,918 37,472 24,265 40,726 41,050 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,625 6,289 5,512 23,766 24,556 35,771 
			 South Wales 22,227 27,464 28,850 54,383 75,224 61,948 
			 South Yorkshire 39,062 31,585 23,544 20,987 21,566 16,096 
			 Staffordshire 22,552 22,044 14,656 13,969 20,372 29,094 
			 Suffolk 7,271 12,640 18,088 12,596 12,416 9,477 
			 Surrey 5,340 10,252 11,035 12,072 10,424 6,052 
			 Sussex 25,124 24,862 22,370 24,990 18,513 23,550 
			 Thames Valley 53,285 62,827 46,034 71,888 154,524 121,677 
			 Warwickshire 1,857 2,510 2,745 2,099 3,136 14,999 
			 West Mercia 15,392 15,502 18,478 22,150 30,504 29,098 
			 West Midlands 9,378 11,586 9,546 5,668 15,806 17,762 
			 West Yorkshire 24,103 29,635 24,791 24,595 20,937 32,126 
			 Wiltshire 11,330 8,494 9,319 16,351 17,941 27,975 
			 England and Wales 712,753 781,016 805,484 941,676 1,151,108 1,407,266 
		
	
	
		
			  Total FPNS for speed limit offences 
			  Police force  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Avon and Somerset 99,405 85,331 67,933 52,606 57,746 53,069 
			 Bedfordshire 66,709 56,762 44,736 48,407 30,029 19,884 
			 Cambridgeshire 28,510 19,802 44,997 20,502 25,371 22,548 
			 Cheshire 29,564 40,306 25,056 28,570 26,992 23,032 
			 Cleveland 24,729 19,939 24,912 19,044 13,951 11,017 
			 Cumbria 24,692 31,531 27,441 32,023 29,096 30,774 
			 Derbyshire 44,517 44,412 30,905 31,484 22,389 16,652 
			 Devon and Cornwall 63,916 91,662 53,474 42,467 62,549 49,234 
			 Dorset 63,185 71,832 79,522 51,599 36,900 26,086 
			 Durham 6,538 4,184 2,816 2,817 3,138 3,531 
			 Dyfed-Powys 3,072 2,221 1,435 1,054 1,654 1,713 
			 Essex 66,281 68,852 85,745 60,705 44,796 25,956 
			 Gloucestershire 3,139 4,913 10,849 13,406 9,380 7,547 
			 Greater Manchester 44,903 43,531 59,478 60,283 42,609 37,330 
			 Gwent 1,013 859 506 531 507 384 
			 Hampshire 45,324 52,587 58,750 49,404 49,324 36,719 
			 Hertfordshire 28,696 61,637 49,738 81,805 41,593 34,945 
			 Humberside 25,755 52,288 48,494 36,718 34,184 21,993 
			 Kent 54,594 66,661 53,289 47,179 51,438 25,208 
			 Lancashire 96,660 63,233 63,568 57,658 55,167 41,678 
			 Leicestershire 45,417 26,357 7,281 24,605 20,634 15,506 
			 Lincolnshire 27,970 29,258 32,613 25,750 24,849 26,834 
			 London, City of 4,864 6,358 10,275 5,089 2,785 3,082 
			 Merseyside 8,883 8,058 18,411 33,049 26,601 34,894 
			 Metropolitan Police 80,213 104,920 126,426 102,482 73,738 94,955 
			 Norfolk 31,640 26,938 25,117 25,346 24,878 20,359 
			 North Wales 61,645 51,069 74,485 59,491 42,537 29,327 
			 North Yorkshire 5,836 5,971 4,923 51,880 38,504 39,410 
			 Northamptonshire 49,902 49,108 47,866 5,256 7,748 7,779 
			 Northumbria 69,018 94,319 55,708 42,242 25,283 14,716 
			 Nottinghamshire 53,276 53,188 53,696 42,917 34,750 32,975 
			 South Wales 65,852 45,343 45,189 33,208 40,426 48,453 
			 South Yorkshire 51,418 42,635 65,352 51,462 37,911 8,014 
			 Staffordshire 47,565 41,249 46,219 50,823 31,547 35,269 
			 Suffolk 16,606 40,847 40,029 34,442 30,378 34,678 
			 Surrey 7,057 8,200 17,509 39,520 28,941 27,366 
			 Sussex 60,364 45,619 58,606 48,627 46,832 37,632 
			 Thames Valley 123,586 92,834 97,049 137,312 54,385 53,909 
			 Warwickshire 27,737 34,206 40,401 30,316 27,468 18,794 
			 West Mercia 78,408 57,844 53,711 46,213 54,975 52,109 
			 West Midlands 43,542 58,052 46,612 44,497 45,357 34,620 
			 West Yorkshire 70,011 68,827 66,031 49,528 41,386 37,177 
			 Wiltshire 42,738 50,641 52,412 51,458 36,959 30,338 
			 England and Wales 1,894,750 1,924,384 1,919,565 1,773,775 1,437,685 1,227,496 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B:  Findings of guilt at all courts for speed limit offences by force 1997 to 2009 
			  Off 816 (speed limit offs )  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003 
			 Avon and Somerset 7,795 5,681 3,594 4,401 5,769 5,060 6,914 
			 Bedfordshire 1,770 3,457 1,941 2,041 2,369 1,590 3,589 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,971 3,170 2,687 1,641 768 533 1,190 
			 Cheshire 2,734 3,870 3,662 4,625 3,930 4,016 3,110 
			 Cleveland 532 997 1,022 1,021 1,357 1,164 1,339 
			 Cumbria 2,104 2,202 2,089 1,548 1,571 1,622 2,027 
			 Derbyshire 3,426 3,938 4,304 5,001 6,081 3,754 3,590 
			 Devon and Cornwall 4,021 3,271 3,529 4,290 3,857 3,493 4,954 
			 Dorset 778 728 829 1,274 958 1,043 1,546 
			 Durham 369 423 936 1,396 1,794 1,641 1,064 
			 Essex 5,127 4,814 6,696 6,349 9,208 14,660 9,357 
			 Gloucestershire 2,369 1,833 1,535 2,164 1,871 901 820 
			 Greater Manchester 11,072 14,686 13,456 14,712 10,566 7,321 6,396 
			 Hampshire 5,665 6,420 7,252 6,075 5,504 5,043 5,363 
			 Hertfordshire 2,135 2,862 2,790 2,300 2,110 2,359 2,195 
			 Humberside 987 1,061 2,866 1,945 2,476 1,149 1,209 
			 Kent 1,548 3,570 1,826 2,276 2,401 1,703 3,012 
			 Lancashire 4,029 5,166 5,394 5,268 4,468 3,895 6,862 
			 Leicestershire 1,200 1,896 2,303 2,047 1,791 1,789 3,091 
			 Lincolnshire 1,896 2,120 3,907 3,579 4,176 3,729 4,316 
			 London, city of 126 235 233 164 103 567 1,144 
			 Merseyside 3,271 2,151 2,241 1,439 722 654 972 
			 Metropolitan Police District 11,165 11,185 9,350 8,364 8,946 7,635 7,208 
			 Norfolk 1,264 1,406 1,727 1,415 1,488 1,315 2,426 
			 Northamptonshire 228 92 568 256 406 230 2,877 
			 Northumbria 2,187 2,417 2,677 3,638 2,451 2,669 2,290 
			 North Yorkshire 2,058 1,798 1,428 1,225 1,419 1,253 1,529 
			 Nottinghamshire 606 1,110 1,295 1,399 1,764 2,065 3,828 
			 South Yorkshire 2,320 2,366 2,375 2,560 2,690 1,868 1,231 
			 Staffordshire 2,686 3,245 3,299 1,900 949 1,105 2,237 
			 Suffolk 1,052 1,469 1,678 1,233 1,252 1,284 776 
			 Surrey 1,482 2,151 3,236 2,927 3,478 2,021 1,508 
			 Sussex 3,869 3,785 3,288 3,541 2,677 1,784 2,819 
			 Thames Valley 9,571 14,349 10,879 7,845 9,264 11,086 9,416 
			 Warwickshire 1,153 1,309 2,981 4,654 3,641 1,758 2,331 
			 West Mercia 2,279 2,326 2,294 2,741 2,633 2,260 1,347 
			 West Midlands 5,744 8,691 7,427 3,523 4,021 4,794 5,132 
			 West Yorkshire 3,899 4,403 5,722 5,774 4,526 2,366 3,445 
			 Wiltshire 4,511 5,454 5,690 2,325 2,192 2,696 4,057 
			 Dyfed Powys 649 775 787 933 666 623 1,581 
			 Gwent 4,751 6,368 7,408 4,041 2,826 2,245 2,655 
			 North Wales 1,377 1,554 1,619 2,826 2,683 3,861 4,340 
			 South Wales 2,020 2,691 2,752 2,739 1,791 2,015 2,959 
			 England and Wales 132,796 153,495 153,572 141,415 135,613 124,619 140,052 
		
	
	
		
			  Offence 816 (speed limit offences )  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Avon and Somerset 6,996 6,434 8,706 5,820 4,228 4,989 
			 Bedfordshire 1,182 4,566 4,412 4,303 2,543 1,969 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,778 2,210 3,492 4,218 4,126 3,211 
			 Cheshire 4,185 2,807 2,637 3,151 2,852 2,712 
			 Cleveland 1,732 1,132 1,362 1,212 811 586 
			 Cumbria 2,377 2,576 2,986 2,493 2,022 2,056 
			 Derbyshire 3,379 2,890 2,623 2,906 2,209 1,571 
			 Devon and Cornwall 4,954 5,159 4,713 3,997 2,910 2,929 
			 Dorset 1,710 3,130 3,059 2,401 2,032 1,764 
			 Durham 739 395 358 661 634 523 
			 Essex 8,405 10,063 7,787 7,330 5,397 4,257 
			 Gloucestershire 811 766 1,431 1,133 633 735 
			 Greater Manchester 4,838 7,355 6,845 4,607 4,958 4,372 
			 Hampshire 4,304 5,126 4,644 4,920 4,444 3,863 
			 Hertfordshire 1,823 3,010 2,936 2,538 2,438 3,844 
			 Humberside 3,658 3,270 2,921 2,222 547 3,297 
			 Kent 3,264 3,667 3,097 3,206 2,004 2,828 
			 Lancashire 5,078 4,801 5,532 7,509 7,121 5,846 
			 Leicestershire 2,235 2,238 2,601 1,835 2,535 2,728 
			 Lincolnshire 4,396 4,409 3,376 3,822 3,986 3,383 
			 London, city of 1,802 6,224 1,747 461 51 518 
			 Merseyside 944 729 1,535 3,083 2,110 1,783 
			 Metropolitan Police District 6,787 4,482 4,745 5,985 10,909 10,015 
			 Norfolk 2,809 2,869 3,508 2,699 2,635 2,676 
			 Northamptonshire 4,047 3,366 2,906 2,933 1,614 1,405 
			 Northumbria 3,881 2,972 2,923 3,650 3,319 2,816 
			 North Yorkshire 2,048 1,565 1,373 2,018 3,059 2,278 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,213 4,657 3,986 3,436 2,916 3,071 
			 South Yorkshire 2,655 4,158 4,626 4,245 1,566 1,673 
			 Staffordshire 4,484 4,452 3,652 4,568 3,204 3,031 
			 Suffolk 1,856 3,249 3,054 3,418 3,577 3,504 
			 Surrey 287 2,886 3,846 3,531 2,832 2,677 
			 Sussex 262 3,387 3,575 4,001 3,168 2,997 
			 Thames Valley 8,919 8,338 7,588 5,935 4,698 6,451 
			 Warwickshire 1,736 1,925 1,397 1,350 1,028 1,354 
			 West Mercia 403 2,053 2,431 2,691 2,316 1,984 
			 West Midlands 7,427 5,461 4,242 4,702 3,845 4,299 
			 West Yorkshire 4,344 5,363 6,083 5,733 4,779 5,178 
			 Wiltshire 4,055 4,212 4,338 5,043 4,029 4,558 
			 Dyfed Powys 1,261 1,941 1,152 956 1,145 1,046 
			 Gwent 2,283 2,103 1,287 1,129 497 1,494 
			 North Wales 4,636 4,639 6,107 4,361 3,699 3,534 
			 South Wales 4,217 3,390 2,828 2,415 2,180 2,501 
			 England and Wales 143,200 160,425 154,447 148,627 127,606 128,306

Drug Seizures

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to prevent illegal drugs from overseas reaching the UK.

James Brokenshire: The Government are committed to strengthening our international efforts to deter drug trafficking to the UK and to maximise success in tackling drug smuggling at our borders and traffickers at source and in transit countries. The Government's Drugs Strategy, "Reducing Demand, Restricting Supply, Building Recovery", was published in December 2010 and our approach to restricting the supply of illegal drugs from overseas is outlined on pages 14-17. The Strategy is available in the House Libraries and at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/drugs/drug-strategy/drug-strategy-2010?view=Binary
	We continue to work with international partners, such as the European Union, G8 and United Nations, to encourage greater international effort.
	We are also joining up our capacity with that of international partners in order to tackle the international drugs trade by making more effective use of all of the Government's capabilities overseas, including our diplomatic and other assets.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) scheduled and  (b) unscheduled checks of (i) English language schools and (ii) other educational institutions the UK Border Agency performed in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: holding answer 15 March 2011
	We are unable to provide figures on the number of checks conducted by the UK Border Agency to English language schools and other educational institutions in each of the last five years. Although data are available from 2008, the information requested is not centrally recorded in the format required and could be obtained only by a manual check of all records at disproportionate cost.
	We are able to provide data on the number of Tier 4 announced and unannounced visits undertaken since October 2010 until the end of February 2011. The number of Tier 4 announced visits is 269. The number of Tier 4 unannounced visits is 93. This includes pre-licence, post-licence and highly trusted sponsor visits.
	The figures provided are based on management information that is not subject to the detailed checks that apply for national statistics. They are provisional and subject to change.

Immigration

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the implications for the UK of the proposals in the EU Agenda for new skills and jobs in respect of migration; what assessment she has made of likely trends in migration to the UK from  (a) EU and  (b) non-EU countries; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: We do not anticipate that the EU New Skills and Jobs agenda will have any significant implications for migration to the UK. The Government will work to ensure that any specific legislative proposals respect national competence and the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, and are accompanied by a full impact assessment.
	We use Office for National Statistics long-term international migration data to assess likely trends in migration to and from the UK. Historical data are available on the Office for National Statistics website. We monitor the trends in EU migration to the UK, as well as the number of British citizens returning and leaving. In recent years these have broadly balanced out, with the majority of net migration being explained by the balance of non-EU nationals. Our assessment of the likely trends in net migration from non-EU countries will be discussed in impact assessments supporting policies aimed at reducing net migration. These will be made publicly available on the UK Border Agency website.

Missing Persons

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to provide support for the Missing Rights campaign; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 14 March 2011
	Family members going missing is a distressing and difficult experience for those left behind. Access to advice and support during this period can make a significant difference. The Missing People charity's Missing Rights campaign has suggested a range of steps which Government and others could take to improve services to missing people and their families. Those steps will help to inform our continuing work in this area.

Offences against Children

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to prevent child sexual exploitation.

Tim Loughton: I have been asked to reply.
	To tackle child sexual exploitation effectively there must be a collaborative approach involving Ministers from a range of Government Departments as well as local authority children's services, Local Safeguarding Children Boards, and organisations such as the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), Barnardo's and others, including voluntary organisations around the country.
	Within Government, working particularly closely with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime Prevention, the hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (James Brokenshire), and with national and local partners, I am leading our urgent work on what action needs to be taken to safeguard children and young people from sexual exploitation. This will build on existing guidance and our developing understanding of this appalling abuse including through local agencies' work around the country on effective prevention strategies, identifying those at risk of sexual exploitation, supporting victims, and taking robust action against perpetrators.
	I met Barnardo's chief executive, Anne Marie Carrie, in January following the publication of their "Puppet on a string" report on child sexual exploitation to discuss this issue. In April I am holding a roundtable meeting with Ministers across Government and key local and national partners to discuss the further action necessary to address this issue.

UK Border Agency: Public Appointments

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to appoint a permanent chief executive of the UK Border Agency.

Damian Green: An open competition for the recruitment of a permanent chief executive of the United Kingdom Border Agency will be under way very shortly.

TRANSPORT

Ambulance Service: Safety Belts

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider the merits of introducing an exemption from requirements to wear seatbelts in motor vehicles for staff of ambulance services.

Michael Penning: The proposal to exempt ambulance crew from seat belt wearing would raise a variety of concerns. There is clearly a risk of personal injury to paramedics being unrestrained, not only to themselves but to patients and other passengers when an ambulance is being driven at speed in an emergency.
	We would, however, be prepared to consider representations on this issue from the authorities responsible for providing ambulance services, and to establish what the current practice is and how far they support your proposal.

Bembridge Harbour

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on the future of Bembridge Harbour.

Michael Penning: holding answer 14 March 2011
	Since May 2010, we have received four representations on the future of Bembridge Harbour. A number of representations have also been addressed to officials.

Biofuels

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to promote the greater use of wheat-based bioethanol; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Government support the development of a sustainable biofuels industry, including wheat based bioethanol, through the renewable transport fuels obligation (RTFO). The RTFO requires fossil fuel suppliers over a certain size to supply a specified percentage of renewable fuel. Obligated suppliers are required to report on the sustainability of the biofuels they supply and the Government set voluntary greenhouse gas, environmental and social sustainability targets. Further information on the RTFO is available at
	www.renewablefuelsagency.gov.uk
	The European renewable energy directive (RED) requires member states to source 10% of transport energy from renewable sources by 2020 and sets mandatory sustainability standards for biofuels and bioliquids. We will consult shortly on proposals to amend the RTFO to meet the requirements of the RED.

Bus Service Operators Grant

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what payments of Bus Service Operators Grant were made to each operator in 2009-10; and what estimates he has made of the payments to be made to each such operator in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15.

Norman Baker: Data showing Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) payments made to bus operators in England are available on the DFT website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/buses/busgrants/bsog/661224
	The data relate to the last full year period for which an operator has submitted a certified BSOG claim. These 'claim years' vary from operator to operator and they do not relate to a single financial year, but largely relate to the period 2009-10.
	As an estimate, we expect to provide around £423 million in BSOG grants to local bus operators in England in 2010-11. No estimate is available of how much will be paid to individual operators. No estimate is available of payments from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

Bus Services: Concessions

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost to his Department was of funding free bus passes for the elderly in the latest period in which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The majority of funding for concessionary travel is provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) through Formula Grant. From April 2011 the responsibility for the administration of travel concession schemes will move from lower tier authorities to upper tier authorities and all funding will be provided to those authorities through Formula Grant. Local authorities spend around £1 billion a year on statutory and discretionary concessionary travel schemes.
	From 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2011, the Department for Transport also provided Special Grant funding to local authorities by way of transitional help to cover the extra costs of the England-wide off-peak bus travel concession, which was introduced on 1 April 2008. The Special Grant funding was £212 million in 2008-09, £217 million in 2009-10 and £223 million in 2010-11.

Bus Services: Concessions

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the take-up rate was by elderly people of free bus passes in the latest period in which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The National Travel Survey 2009 estimates that 76% of eligible older people take up their entitlement to free bus passes.

Bus Services: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the savings accruing to his Department from changes to the Bus Service Operators Grant in the next four financial years.

Norman Baker: As part of the spending review, we announced that the rate of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) would be maintained at its present level for 2011-12, then reduced by 20% from 2012-13. It is not possible to work out the exact saving this will bring, as the total amount of grant will depend on how much fuel is used by eligible bus services in each year, and how many buses are eligible for each of the specific incentives.
	As an estimate, we expect to provide around £423 million in BSOG grants to local bus operators in England in 2010-11. Assuming a similar level of BSOG claims in each of the next four financial years, that would suggest a spend of £1,692 million if we had maintained the current BSOG rate. With a 20% reduction from 2012-13, we would expect spending of around £1,438 million, a saving of approximately £254 million.

Departmental Energy

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has saved in  (a) energy costs and  (b) carbon dioxide emissions since bringing in real time energy display.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport introduced real time energy display in July 2010. Real time energy display is one of many initiatives that the Department has introduced to reduce energy usage. Attributing actual savings to specific initiatives is not currently possible due to the number of initiatives that have been introduced; nor indeed do we have an equivalent baseline period against which to compare.
	However, the introduction of this technology has enabled the Department to look at ways of trying to reduce its electricity base load and also investigate any peaks in consumption.

Departmental Written Questions

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of written questions tabled to him for answer on a named day between 27 May 2010 and 9 March 2011 did not receive a substantive answer on the day named for answer.

Norman Baker: holding answer 14 March 2011
	Between 27 May 2010 and 9 March 2011 the Secretary of State for Transport received 608 questions for answer on a named day. Of these, 276 were answered on the day in question and four were transferred to another Department to reply. Six recent questions are due to be answered on future named days.
	The number of questions that did not receive a substantive answer on the named day is 322 (53%).
	The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis. Statistics relating to Government Departments' performance for the 2009-10 Session were recently provided to the committee and are available on the Parliament website.

Highways Agency: Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are planned to reduce the cost of contracts for the Highways Agency; and what estimate has been made of the level of savings that will arise from each planned action in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Michael Penning: The Highways Agency Procurement strategy outlines the changes in approach to the supply chain that are being made to increase focus on "Value, Delivery and Sustainability" to deliver savings for the agency. These include implementing category management, changes to contract forms and closer engagement with the supply chain to encourage innovation.
	The Highways Agency is also reviewing technical requirements as well as introducing them in to a new form of maintenance contract, the first of which will be tendered in 2011-12, to deliver savings from 2012-13 onwards. In the case of major projects, the introduction of category management, reducing waste and change in standards will be the key to achieving savings across the Highways Agency's programme. These will contribute to the savings detailed in the document published on the 28 October, "Investment in Highways Transport Schemes".

London and Southeastern Railway: Passengers

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) capacity benchmark figures and  (b) service delivery benchmark figures have been in each month of operation of the Southeastern rail franchise.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 2 March 2011
	 The Cancellations and Service Delivery Benchmarks for the Southeastern franchise are set out in Appendices 5 and 7 of the Southeastern franchise agreement. This can be found at the following address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/publicregister/current/lser/lser_franchise.pdf

Ports: Bankruptcy

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what responsibilities he has with respect to the operation of ports and harbours which enter into bankruptcy.

Michael Penning: holding answer 14 March 2011
	The Secretary of State has no general powers to intervene in the business activities of ports.
	The Secretary of State would consider what action to take in the event of a port or harbour's bankruptcy given individual circumstances and having regard to the legislation applicable to that port or harbour.

Railways: Passengers

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the report of Passenger Focus on the operation of the assisted passenger reservation system, if he will take steps to encourage the rail industry to  (a) install a new booking system that allows for monitoring of service delivery,  (b) publish findings of the monitoring system and  (c) set a service level target in each franchise.

Norman Baker: In response to the previous Passenger Focus report into the assisted passenger reservation system, published in 2008, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) launched a project to improve the system. This is due to begin testing in the next few weeks and the Department for Transport is contributing £141,000 towards the cost from the Access for All Programme.
	The new system will allow the Association of Train Operating Companies to monitor performance by train operator and individual station and we expect that the industry will publish this information. We are considering introducing service targets for each franchise once an industry wide consensus on fair and objective targets can be agreed.

Road Traffic

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to reduce road congestion.

Michael Penning: This Government's vision is for a transport system that is an engine for economic growth. A key part of this is tackling congestion and the unreliable journey times that congestion generates.
	In regard to local highway authority managed roads, we have published a Local Transport White Paper. It explains how the Government are placing localism at the heart of the transport agenda, and taking measures to empower local authorities when it comes to tackling issues, such as congestion, in their areas.
	In addition we are intending to commit £1.5 billion to local authority major transport schemes in the spending review period and a further £560 million through a new Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
	On the strategic road network, we are taking forward a range of measures. This includes investment in 14 new major improvement schemes and delivery of a new National Traffic Information Service to enable motorists to make informed decisions about how to avoid congestion and thereby contribute to its reduction.
	The Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service continues to play a vital role in swiftly clearing incidents and incident related congestion. We have also recently completed a review of motorway closure incidents, focusing on what improvements could be made to reduce incident durations. We are committed to ensuring that any improvements identified from the review are taken forward by December 2012.

Sea Rescue

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure the (a) evidence and  (b) recommendations and the conclusions of the Transport Select Committee inquiry into coastguard reorganisation will be considered as part of the Department's consultation on the future of HM Coastguard.

Michael Penning: holding answer 8 March 2011
	 I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 14 March 2011,  Official Report, column 3WS.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Departmental Assets

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Attorney-General whether receipts from the sale of assets owned by regional development agencies are reflected in the spending plans of the Law Officers' Departments for  (a) 2012-13 and  (b) 2013-14.

Edward Garnier: The sale of such assets has no impact on the Law Officers' Departments spending plans.

Fraud: Prosecutions

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General if he will place in the Library a copy of each representation the Law Officers' Departments have received on the introduction of deferred prosecution agreements in respect of allegations of fraud and bribery.

Edward Garnier: No such documents are available to be placed in the Library.

HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate: Manpower

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General how many staff HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate expects to employ at the end of  (a) March 2011 and  (b) each subsequent financial year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Edward Garnier: HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate's (HMCPSI) staff is composed of permanent staff and staff on loan from other Government Departments. At the end of March 2011 HMCPSI's staff complement is 43 of whom six are on loan from other Government Departments.
	Currently there are no plans to change the number of full-time permanent staff during the comprehensive spending review period. HMCPSI will manage the numbers of staff on loan from other Government Departments as necessary.

Serious Fraud Office: Finance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General 
	(1)  what the  (a) resource and  (b) capital budget of the Serious Fraud Office will be in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period;
	(2)  what the  (a) resource and  (b) capital budget is of the Serious Fraud Office in 2010-11.

Edward Garnier: The resource and capital budget for the SFO for 2010-11 to 2014-15 is:
	
		
			  £000 
			   Resource  Capital 
			 2010-11 36,931 3,100 
			 2011-12 33,859 1,580 
			 2012-13 32,130 1,600 
			 2013-14 30,365 1,440 
			 2014-15 29,282 1,820

Serious Fraud Office: Finance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2011,  Official Report, column 805W, on public expenditure, by how much the Serious Fraud Office expects to reduce expenditure under each budget heading in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Edward Garnier: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Resource DEL  2011-12  2012-13  2013-14  2014-15 
			 Staff -1,116 -3,038 -3,642 -3,748 
			 Accommodation 0 0 -1,700 -1,700 
			 Non Pay Costs -1,222 -1,578 -1,520 -3,626 
			 Total Savings Identified (Gross) -2,338 4,616 -6,862 -9,074 
		
	
	The Department's expenditure reduction plans are kept under continuous review and the value of individual components may change over time.

Serious Fraud Office: Manpower

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General 
	(1)  how many staff the Serious Fraud Office expects to employ  (a) at the end of March 2011 and  (b) at the end of each subsequent financial year of the comprehensive spending review period;
	(2)  how many witness care officers the Serious Fraud Office  (a) employed at the end of 2009-10 and  (b) expects to employ at the end of (i) 2010-11 and (ii) each financial year from 2011-12 to 2014-15;
	(3)  how many people the Serious Fraud Office expects to employ as  (a) investigators and  (b) lawyers in its Proceeds of Crime Unit at the end of (i) March 2011 and (ii) each subsequent financial year in the comprehensive spending review period.

Edward Garnier: The information requested for 2010-11 is outlined as follows.
	
		
			   Staff  Witness care officers  Proceeds of crime unit investigators  Proceeds of crime unit lawyers 
			 2011 365 2 11 6 
		
	
	Plans are currently under way to increase the numbers of proceeds of crime investigators from 11 to 14, and proceeds of crime lawyers from six to seven in 2012.
	Staffing levels beyond April 2011 will be kept under review in order to ensure that the SFO is able discharge its functions efficiently and effectively and within the resources available to it.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Salt Awareness Week

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the House of Commons catering service has plans to promote Salt Awareness Week.

John Thurso: The House of Commons catering and retail services will be marking Salt Awareness week (21-25 March 2011) in all cafeterias across the parliamentary estate by displaying notices publicising Salt Awareness Week and reminding customers that, routinely, a lower sodium-based salt is used in all cooking processes. There will also be flyers on display produced by Consensus Action on Salt and Health to help raise awareness. Lo-salt is provided in all cafeteria salt cellars.

PRIME MINISTER

Libya: Higher Education

Robert Halfon: To ask the Prime Minister whether 10 Downing Street has  (a) had any discussions with and  (b) provided any assistance to British universities in securing (i) contracts and (ii) financial support from Libya in the last 10 years.

David Cameron: Since I took office there have been no such discussions or assistance. I am not responsible for the actions of the previous Administration.

DEFENCE

Air Force: Military Bases

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library each item of correspondence his Department has received from HM Treasury in respect of its RAF basing review.

Nick Harvey: The analysis of the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s estates and basing requirements goes far beyond a "RAF basing review". The MOD is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the estates and basing implications of the conclusions of the Strategic Defence and Security Review and the comprehensive spending review. This does include the consequences of the changes to the RAF's force structure, but also includes the basing, accommodation and training requirements in the UK of units returning from Germany; changes to the structure of the Army; reductions in the overall numbers of service personnel and MOD civil servants; and the requirement to achieve efficiencies from better use of the Defence estate. As a matter of routine business this work is being undertaken with the involvement of officials from HM Treasury, but it would not be appropriate to place correspondence from Treasury officials on the policy making process in the Library of the House.

Air Force: Military Bases

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of correspondence his Department received from hon. Members in respect of its RAF basing review.

Nick Harvey: Correspondence between hon. Members and Ministers is not normally disclosed in order to protect confidentiality.

Air Force: Redundancy

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trainee pilots on courses of study leading to qualifications for flying Harrier aircraft have been made redundant to date under his Department's recent redundancy programme.

Nick Harvey: None.

Ammunition

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the operational life is of the  (a) L16,  (b) L17 and  (c) L18 propellant charges used for kinetic energy penetrator ammunition;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to (a) replace or (b) extend the life of the propellant charge used in kinetic energy penetrator ammunition.

Peter Luff: The life of L16, L17 and L18 propellant charges in kinetic energy penetrator ammunition depends on whether the ammunition has been issued to operational (deployed) units or whether it is held in conditioned storage. In the case of deployed ammunition, the life of the charges is normally six months; for ammunition in conditioned storage this varies from between five and 10 years.
	The life of the propellant charges used in kinetic energy penetrator ammunition is extended provided it is shown to be safe and suitable for continued service. This is demonstrated through a rigorous in-service surveillance programme. While there are currently no plans to replace the propellant charge used in kinetic energy penetrator ammunition, we do investigate options to replace existing charge systems when the current in-service systems can no longer be supported.

Amphibious Vehicles

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the suitability of Bay-class landing ship docks for humanitarian assistance duties;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the average lifespan of a Bay-class landing ship dock;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the suitability of Bay-class landing ship docks for undertaking the duties of Atlantic Patrol Ship (North);
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the suitability of  (a) RFA Fort George and  (b) RFA Largs Bay for counter-piracy operations.

Nick Harvey: The Royal Navy has a range of vessels that are used to carry out humanitarian assistance, Atlantic patrol and counter-piracy operations.
	The standard service life of Bay Class Landing Ship Dock Auxiliary (LSDA) is 25 years as articulated in the staff requirement document and reflected in the Royal Navy Plan 2010. The Bay class LSDA when appropriately enhanced with aviation and surface manoeuvre assets (eg Landing Craft, Mexefloat rafts), has been suitable as a platform from which to deliver humanitarian aid such as RFA Largs Bay's contribution to the international humanitarian mission in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010. When enhanced with aviation assets, Royal Navy and Royal Marine specialist manpower, it has been suitable for the task of Atlantic Patrol Task (North). For example, in December 2007 RFA Largs Bay had a successful counter-narcotics interdiction in the Caribbean in which the items seized had a street value of £20 million. When enhanced with aviation assets, Royal Marine Boarding Teams and Royal Navy Medical Staff, the units have the capability to be employed as platforms conducting counter-piracy operations. For example, RFA Fort Victoria conducted a successful patrol in the Somali Basin in 2010.

Amphibious Vehicles

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role RFA Largs Bay undertook in providing humanitarian relief to Haiti following the earthquake in that country in 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: At the Department for International Development's request, the Ministry of Defence sent a Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ship, RFA Largs Bay, to carry vital relief supplies to Haiti. These included shelter materials to rebuild homes as well as critically needed port handling equipment and vehicles for use by Save the Children, the International Federation of the Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies
	RFA Largs Bay arrived in Haiti on 18 February 2010, delivered her cargo of aid and then provided further support to the World Food Programme under the direction of the Department for International Development. This principally consisted of distributing food aid from Port-au-Prince to more remote locations around the Haitian coast.

Amphibious Vehicles

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of RFA Fort Victoria to counter piracy activities; and whether further such contributions are planned;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of HMS Cornwall to international counter-piracy activity.

Nick Harvey: RFA Fort Victoria and HMS Cornwall, among other Royal Navy vessels, have made valuable contributions to the international counter-piracy missions off the Horn of Africa in the past 12 months.
	RFA Fort Victoria is currently scheduled to take part in counter-piracy activity this year. However, the tasking of assets is subject to change in order to allow flexibility to meet evolving operational requirements.

Armed Forces: Pay

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rate of local overseas allowance is payable to personnel based in each overseas location.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 7 March 2011
	The local overseas allowance is a cost of living allowance tailored for each country. The pay ranges in the following table reflect the payments for those who are posted unaccompanied and those who are accompanied without children. The rates paid to individuals then vary based on other factors such as the number of children, the length of posting or whether food and accommodation are provided. All figures are presented in pound sterling and represent the daily rate payable in each country.
	
		
			  Daily rate 
			  Country  Unaccompanied pay range  Accompanied pay range 
			 Antigua £34.55 - £44.10 £29.38 - £39.36 
			 Argentina £24.84 - £24.26 £19.94 - £19.16 
			 Ascension Island £0.06 - £1.20 £12.72 - £13.71 
			 Australia £28.27 - £55.80 £34.21 - £82.92 
			 Bahrain (exclusive of operations) £10.23 - £18.37 £12.73 - £27.11 
			 Bahrain (operations) £11.58 - £22.26 n/a 
			 Barbados £40.52 - £50.45 £35.97 - £46.17 
			 Belgium £15.33 - £33.48 £22.18 - £51.36 
			 Belize £13.06 - £27.19 £24.53 - £51.64 
			 Bermuda £70.12 - £97.14 £72.53 - £101.30 
			 Bosnia £28.68 - £30.00 £27.49 - £29.90 
			 Brazil £49.53 - £70.59 £48.13 - £71.13 
			 Brunei (excluding loan service personnel) £13.55 - £16.54 £28.15 - £31.97 
			 Brunei (loan service personnel) £16.42 - £19.72 £18.50 - £42.28 
			 Bulgaria £34.16 - £34.88 £33.26 - £34.30 
			 Canada (Alberta) £26.69 - £43.70 £34.70 - £71.09 
			 Canada (elsewhere) £24.20 - £41.08 £24.19 - £69.73 
			 Chile £39.01 - £42.08 £38.96 - £42.79 
			 Colombia £47.47 - £60.67 £54.25 - £69.46 
			 Cyprus £13.19 - £21.86 £19.16 - £43.39 
			 Czech Republic £28.64 - £29.72 £24.63 - £26.33 
			 Denmark £36.89 - £56.67 £28.99 - £50.10 
			 Diego Garcia £0 £0 
			 Djibouti £57.64 - £79.51 £63.44 - £86.24 
			 Eritrea £57.64 - £79.51 £63.44 - £86.24 
			 Estonia £24.99 - £28.71 £19.19 - £23.66 
			 Ethiopia £27.30 - £28.84 £28.88 - £33.05 
			 Falkland Islands £1.28 - £3.08 £11.90 - £19.02 
			 France £25.25 - £44.84 £27.42 - £52.41 
			 Germany (main) £10.05 - £17.72 £12.17 - £22.93 
			 Germany (US zone) £12.67 - £20.90 £13.18 - £22.58 
			 Germany (elsewhere) £12.11 - £19.76 £13.13 - £23.92 
			 Ghana £33.26 - £41.13 £30.84 - £38.95 
			 Gibraltar £4.39 - £13.30 £11.83 - £25.10 
			 Greece £23.95 - £30.63 £16.47 - £23.94 
			 India £29.53 - £31.09 £31.41 - £36.57 
			 Indonesia £45.95 - £53.09 £58.93 - £66.67 
			 Italy £16.61 - £34.03 £27.78 - £61.76 
			 Jordan £34.40 - £40.72 £32.30 - £39.26 
			 Kenya £5.26 - £6.36 £20.13 - £28.50 
			 Kuwait £9.16 - £14.67 £22.28 - £39.65 
			 Latvia £31.66 - £33.52 £27.94 - £30.18 
			 Liberia £54.93 - £71.80 £64.55 - £82.35 
			 Luxembourg £27.44 - £33.41 £21.04 - £27.65 
			 Macedonia £21.06 - £22.72 £14.80 - £18.90 
			 Malaysia £26.57 - £28.40 £26.05 - £27.65 
			 Nepal £1.55 - £2.00 £6.81 - £7.33 
			 Netherlands £9.60 - £19.30 £14.03 - £24.83 
			 New Zealand £17.22 - £19.94 £7.75 - £10.65 
			 Nigeria £64.00 - £86.04 £76.83 - £99.79 
			 Norway (main) £39.62 - £81.91 £37.17 - £94.36 
			 Norway (north) £40.13 - £83.73 £38.07 - £97.66 
			 Oman £22.10 - £40.74 £27.57 - £56.48 
			 Pakistan £49.94 £58.74 - £72.38 
			 Poland £19.61 - £20.67 £11.56 - £15.56 
			 Portugal £11.55 - £17.76 £18.24 - £37.68 
			 Qatar £38.02 - £41.51 £37.43 - £41.41 
			 Romania £21.22 - £22.67 £15.52 - £18.92 
			 Russia £54.55 - £75.93 £58.38 - £81.42 
			 Saudi Arabia £0 £0 
			 Saudi Arabia (stand alone teams) £0 - £2.14 £3.51 - £7.25 
			 Sierra Leone £8.76 - £13.60 £16.09 - £33.96 
			 Singapore £39.95 - £53.91 £35.87 - £51.17 
			 Slovakia £27.86 - £29.99 £25.31 - £27.38 
			 South Africa £25.15 £15.27 - £21.96 
			 Spain £22.89 - £27.22 £15.78 - £20.73 
			 Sri Lanka £31.82 - £32.13 £33.50 - £37.60 
			 Sudan £66.45 - £75.08 £88.62 - £97.76 
			 Sweden £32.27 - £43.20 £26.05 - £37.95 
			 Switzerland £39.51 - £60.42 £32.39 - £54.80 
			 Turkey £34.30 - £41.77 £32.07 - £40.34 
			 Ukraine £29.04 - £29.70 £28.92 - £30.31 
			 United Arab Emirates £31.37 - £31.75 £29.61 - £30.28 
			 USA £13.88 - £23.89 £18.99 - £41.29 
			 Yemen £40.72 £47.37 - £57.47 
			 n/a = not applicable

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the oral answer of 15 February 2011,  Official Report, column 815, on the armed forces (redundancies), on what date and at what time  (a) the private office of each Minister in his Department and  (b) he and each other Minister in his Department was first informed that emails had been sent to service personnel to inform them of the termination of their employment; and by whom each was informed.

Andrew Robathan: Ministerial outer offices were horrified to learn of this matter during the early hours of 15 February 2011 and subsequently informed their respective Ministers. The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), made clear on 15 February 2011,  Official Report, column 815, his displeasure at the handling of this matter and explained that arrangements have been put in place to ensure that this does not happen again.

Army: Redundancy

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many regional brigade headquarters his Department plans to close; how many redundancies he expects to result from such closures; and whether this figure has been reckoned among the 25,000 civilian staff redundancies already announced;
	(2)  how many redundancies he estimates there will be as a result of the closure of each of the regional divisional headquarters; and whether this figure has been reckoned among the 25,000 civilian staff redundancies already announced.

Andrew Robathan: As we set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) White Paper (CM 7948) we plan to replace the Army's four regional divisional headquarters with a single UK support command and to close at least two of the Army's 10 regional brigade headquarters, thereby enhancing our focus on front-line capabilities. Detailed planning is currently being undertaken to examine how best to take the SDSR direction forward, taking account of work ongoing across all three services on future basing requirements. Announcements will be made in due course.
	It is too early to say how many military and civilian posts will be saved by the reduction in the number of Army regional headquarters. It is also too early to say whether any civilian redundancies will be required either to manage these changes or to meet the MOD's overall civilian personnel reduction target of 25,000. Every effort will be made to avoid redundancies through the established measures laid down for managing surplus staff.
	I can confirm, however, that they will be included in the 25,000 civilian staff reduction targets announced in the SDSR White Paper.

Cyprus: Birds

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received on the illegal trafficking of songbirds at UK sovereign bases in Cyprus.

Nick Harvey: I am not aware of any reports of the illegal trafficking of songbirds in the UK sovereign bases in Cyprus but the illegal trapping of songbirds is a recognised issue across the whole of Cyprus. Combating this issue is one of the key priorities for the UK sovereign base area police who have a dedicated team specifically tasked with policing this activity.

Departmental Pay

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to ensure that his published departmental organisational chart includes the names and responsibilities of all staff paid over £58,200 per annum in his Department and in the non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible.

Andrew Robathan: The coalition Government are committed to improving transparency and the coalition programmes include commitments to publish salary information for the most senior civil servants and to publish organograms for the entire organisation.
	As a first step, the Government published the details of 345 senior officials in departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in post at 31 March 2010 whose rate of pay was £150,000 or more. Publication of name, job title and base salary details was then extended to some lower levels of the senior civil service (SCS) as part of the organograms that were published last October.
	Although individualised salary details for the most junior level of the SCS (Pay bands 1 and 1A) were not released, the numbers and grades of staff in each of their teams and the total salary costs of the team were published. Organograms will next be updated by the end of May to show structures as at 31 March 2011.
	Good progress is being made across the civil service and beyond in improving transparency of how government works and uses its resources. We are now in a period of consolidating and embedding transparency processes into business as usual. We are always looking to go further and we will continue over the coming months to review, and where necessary improve, the quality and extent of data being released.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the potential saving to his Department from the reductions in expenditure on  (a) food,  (b) energy,  (c) professional services and  (d) other commodities committed to in the strategic defence and spending review;
	(2)  whether his Department has estimated the potential cost savings from the commitment in the strategic defence spending review to rationalise wider equipment holdings in the light of experience on operations and fleet management;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the potential savings to his Department of a reduction in defence equipment and support; and whether the proposed reduction will entail redundancies.

Peter Luff: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 November 2010,  Official Report, column 582W. It is too early to say what potential savings may accrue from the strategic defence and security review in all of the detailed categories listed. Where estimates of itemised savings have been made, I am withholding these as their premature disclosure would be likely to prejudice the formulation of Government policy and the Ministry of Defence's commercial interests. Much work is now required to work through the detailed implications of strategic defence and security review decisions and their implementation. We will be providing the fullest possible information as progress is made.

Departmental Travel

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on travel in each month in the period from January 2009 to March 2010.

Andrew Robathan: Ministry of Defence monthly expenditure on travel between January 2009 and March 2010 was as follows:
	
		
			   Expenditure (£ million) 
			 January 2009 14.7 
			 February 2009 18.9 
			 March 2009 20.2 
			 April 2009 22.1 
			 May 2009 20.0 
			 June 2009 20.6 
			 July 2009 23.2 
			 August 2009 19.1 
			 September 2009 16.2 
			 October 2009 19.2 
			 November 2009 19.3 
			 December 2009 16.7 
			 January 2010 10.9 
			 February 2010 13.5 
			 March 2010 15.6 
		
	
	These figures include, for both service and civilian staff, the cost of travel and accommodation booked centrally, the reimbursement of expenses incurred when using their own vehicle for duty journeys, most rail fares not booked centrally and some car hire costs. The figures also include expenses reimbursed to civilian staff for overnight accommodation, subsistence, taxi, bus and underground fares, parking charges and road tolls, and most of their air fares not booked centrally. Costs of the MOD's White Fleet are not included as they are not recorded on a monthly basis; however, we estimate that White Fleet contract and fuel costs averaged around £4.5 million a month. The figures also do not include all travel and subsistence costs reimbursed to service personnel, but we are currently improving the accessibility of these in the interests of transparency.
	By whatever means staff travel, they must do so in a way that is the most economical in both money and official time.

Departmental Written Questions

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of written questions tabled to him for answer on a named day between 27 May 2010 and 9 March 2011 did not receive a substantive answer on the day named for answer.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence received 781 written questions tabled for answer on a named day between 27 May 2010 and 9 March 2011, of which 41% (323) did not receive a substantive answer on the day named. The Government are committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to Government Departments' performance in answering written parliamentary questions on a sessional basis. Statistics for the 2009-10 session were recently provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website.

European Fighter Aircraft: Radar

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the suitability of an active electronically scanned array for the third tranche of Typhoon aircraft;
	(2)  what discussions his Department has had with the EuroRadar consortium on the research and development of the Captor-E Active Electronically Scanned Array;
	(3)  whether  (a) current in-service Typhoon aircraft and  (b) Typhoon aircraft that have not yet been delivered will be equipped with a Captor-E Active Electronically Scanned Array;
	(4)  what recent discussions he has had with EuroRadar consortium on equipping Typhoon aircraft with the Captor-E Active Electronically Scanned Array.

Peter Luff: We are continuously reviewing Typhoon's capability to meet operational needs. The Ministry of Defence has recognised the benefits which Electronically Scanned Radar could bring to Typhoon and has commissioned Selex-Galileo, the UK partner company in the EuroRadar consortium, to undertake a Technology Demonstrator Programme to increase the maturity of some aspects of the technology.
	A decision has not yet been taken on equipping in-service Typhoon aircraft or those yet to be delivered with an Electronically Scanned Radar. Constructive discussions have been held between the four partner nations and industry on equipping Typhoon with an Electronically Scanned Radar for national and export customers, and UK aircraft within the third tranche of Typhoon are being provisioned to enable such updates to be performed in the most economical way at the appropriate time.

Germany: Military Bases

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what proportion of the soldiers currently based in Germany will live in existing service accommodation upon their transfer to UK bases;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the new infrastructure which will be required to be built to accommodate troops returning from Germany  (a) before 2015 and  (b) before 2020.

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the unit cost to the public purse of relocating to the UK families of Army personnel stationed in Germany;
	(2)  what timetable his Department has set for the relocation to the UK of service families resident in Germany.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 14 March 2011
	Detailed work is currently under way which will determine how the Government will implement the Germany rebasing policy announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). Until that work has been completed and final decisions have been taken, it is not possible to provide the information. Details of costs, timetables and infrastructure requirements are all contingent on the precise way in which the rebasing will take place and the use to which the UK Defence estate will be put.

Germany: Military Bases

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2011,  Official Report, column 582W, on returning troop costs (Germany), what estimate he has made of the financial savings from withdrawal of forces from Germany in each of the next 10 years;
	(2)  how much he expects his Department to save from troops currently based in Germany becoming based in the UK in each financial year from 2015 to 2030.

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not yet have detailed estimates of the overall financial savings arising from the Government's rebasing policy, or a profile for the realisation of these savings over the coming years. Such information depends on the way in which the policy is implemented. This has yet to be finalised. The MOD can, however, provide details of expected savings in personnel costs. The latest estimate (January 2011) is that the saving to the Defence budget from repatriation would be approximately £5.5 million per unit (approx 600 personnel) per annum-so approximately £183 million per annum once all 20,000 personnel have been returned to the UK. This figure includes allowances, travel and subsistence and posting costs (approximately £2.3 million per unit per annum) and approximately £3.2 million per unit per annum in health care and education costs, because Defence is the sole provider for British soldiers and their dependants when posted in Germany. The MOD will also expect to make considerable savings in infrastructure and operating costs.

Harrier Aircraft

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether his Department has plans to recover  (a) equipment and  (b) systems installed in Harrier aircraft for use elsewhere;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to  (a) sell and  (b) dismantle any Harrier aircraft;
	(3)  what plans his Department has for the Harrier aircraft deleted from service.

Peter Luff: The fleet of Harrier aircraft is currently in storage while disposal options, including sale to other countries, are explored. It is too early to say what the final disposal arrangements will be or whether onboard equipment and systems will be used on other in-service aircraft.

HMS Astute

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Board of Inquiry to issue its report on the recent grounding of HMS Astute; and if he will place in the Library a copy of that report upon issue.

Nick Harvey: The service inquiry report into the grounding of HMS Astute is still under consideration as further investigations are currently taking place as a result of matters identified in the report.
	In accordance with standard departmental procedures the service inquiry report will be placed on the Ministry of Defence website in due course.

Improvised Explosive Devices

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on capability to counter the use of improvised explosive devices in each financial year from 2000-01 to 2010-11.

Peter Luff: This information is not held centrally and, given the wide range of techniques and procedures involved, could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, as announced by the Prime Minister on 10 June 2010 up to an additional £67 million from the reserve was allocated last year to support the campaign to counter the improvised explosive device (IED) threat in Afghanistan.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to purchase helicopters for the RAF.

Peter Luff: holding answer 14 March 2011
	As announced in the strategic defence and security review, there is a capability requirement for additional helicopter capacity and the planned procurement of 12 additional Chinooks, plus a further two to replace those lost on operations in Afghanistan in 2009, remains the best way to meet that requirement. The Department is currently engaging with Boeing to secure the best deal for the armed forces and the taxpayer.
	We are in the process of completing our annual planning round, which will allocate programme budgets. We will announce any significant procurement decisions to Parliament in the usual way.

Navy: Ships

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Naval ships have participated in anti-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia in each of the last five years.

Nick Harvey: Currently HMS Richmond is supporting Op Atalanta (EUNAVFOR counter-piracy) and will support Op Ocean Shield (NATO counter-piracy) later in the year. HMS Cornwall is the current flag ship for the Multi- National Maritime Task Force for Counter Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the east coast of Somalia.
	The following Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels have participated in anti-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia in the last five years.
	 2010
	HMS Northumberland
	HMS Chatham
	RFA Fort Victoria
	HMS Cumberland
	HMS Lancaster
	HMS Montrose
	HMS Cornwall
	 2009
	HMS Cornwall
	HMS Lancaster
	RFA Wave Knight
	HMS Richmond
	HMS Cumberland
	 2008
	HMS Northumberland
	HMS Argyll
	HMS Montrose
	HMS Sutherland
	HMS Chatham
	HMS Kent
	HMS Lancaster
	HMS Portland
	 2007
	None specifically for counter-piracy but HMS Argyll, HMS Campbeltown and HMS Richmond were deployed for broader maritime security, east of Suez.

New Zealand: Earthquakes

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department considered the merits of providing naval assistance to New Zealand following the recent earthquake in that country.

Nick Harvey: On hearing of the earthquake, the Secretary of State telephoned the New Zealand Defence Secretary to pass on his condolences and to extend an offer of assistance from the UK. After assessing the damage and the type of recovery work to be undertaken, the New Zealand Government only made a formal request to the UK for specialised search and rescue assistance.
	As naval assistance was not required by the Government of New Zealand, the UK Ministry of Defence discontinued any further consideration of the merits of providing such maritime assistance.

Point Class Ships: Public Finance

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) cost to the public purse and  (b) difference in cost compared to the original estimate is of the procurement of six commercial Point Class ships under the private finance initiative which are available for use as naval auxiliaries to the British armed forces.

Peter Luff: Under a private finance initiative arrangement, the Ministry of Defence charters from Foreland Shipping Ltd the services of up to six roll-on/roll-off (RORO) sealift ships (the Point Class) to carry out defence resupply and sustainment tasks.
	The contract was placed in 2002 at a price of £806 million with provision for variation of price in line with inflation. The contract will run to the end of 2024 and is currently meeting the performance, cost and time targets that were set in the original business case.
	Actual spend against the contract up to August 2010 is £260 million.

Seas and Oceans: Piracy

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to explore the widest possible range of private sector defence alternatives for combating piracy on the high seas.

Nick Harvey: The Department for Transport and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office lead on Her Majesty's Government (HMG) maritime security policy and engagement with the maritime industry.
	HMG remains open to all proposals which seek to assist in combating piracy off the Horn of Africa.

Somalia: Piracy

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he made of the threat to international shipping from Somali piracy.

Nick Harvey: In 2010 there were 184 pirate attacks on shipping of which 43 were successful compared to 2009 where there were 190 attacks of which 47 were successful.
	We therefore continue to take the situation off the coast of Somalia very seriously and have played an important role in developing the military response to pirate activity. We have key command roles within all of the international task forces and regularly contribute assets to them.
	Piracy is a symptom of wider instability in Somalia and the Ministry of Defence continues to work comprehensively with other Government Departments and the international community as part of a coherent strategy to address the root causes of piracy.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much he expects his Department to save as a result of sale of the  (a) Defence Support Group,  (b) Marchwood Sea Mounting Centre and  (c) Defence stake in the telecommunications spectrum in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Peter Luff: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 November 2010,  Official Report, column 582W. It is too early to say what potential savings may accrue from the strategic defence and security review in all of the detailed categories listed. Where estimates of itemised savings have been made, I am withholding these as their disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. Much work is now required to work through the detailed implications of strategic defence and security review decisions and their implementation. We will be providing the fullest possible information as progress is made.

Surveillance

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has had with its  (a) US and  (b) NATO counterparts on sharing surveillance capabilities.

Gerald Howarth: Ministers and officials regularly discuss surveillance platforms with our US and NATO allies. This includes co-operative surveillance projects such as Rivet Joint and Scavenger.

Type 22 Frigates

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average running cost to a Type-22 batch 3 frigate was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Peter Luff: The in-service operating costs of an individual Type 22 frigate can vary as these costs are heavily influenced by an individual ship's operational tasking and upkeep and maintenance regime during any particular 12 month period. Taking account of this, the Department has calculated that the average running cost of a Type 22 frigate in financial year 2009-10 was £33 million. This figure includes maintenance, safety certification, military upgrades, manpower, inventory, satellite communication, fuel costs and depreciation.

Type 26 Frigates

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes to design costs there have been as a result of the decision to combine the C1 and C2 requirements into a single variant for Type 26 Global Combat Ship design.

Peter Luff: The cost to the Department of progressing the Type 26 Global Combat Ship from the concept stage through to the completion of the four-year assessment stage is estimated to be approximately £170 million. This figure, which includes the design cost for the vessel, remains unchanged following the strategic defence and security review.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent progress in reaching local and regional political settlements in Afghanistan.

William Hague: Any political settlement in Afghanistan needs to be Afghan-led. In October last year, the Afghan Government established the High Peace Council to lead its efforts. The work of the council so far includes convening Governors' Roadshows in six provinces to take forward the reintegration of former fighters into mainstream communities and outreach visits to Pakistan and Turkey. We welcome these steps as evidence that the Afghan Government are making progress, locally and regionally, towards a political settlement.

BBC World Service: India

Jo Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of regular weekly listeners of BBC World Service Hindi-language radio broadcasts in each year since 2006.

Jeremy Browne: The BBC World Service analyses audience figures for the BBC Hindi short wave radio broadcasts. Listenership was 19.1 million in 2007 and 10.9 million in 2010. No full audience surveys were carried out in the intervening years.

BBC World Service: India

Jo Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what cost benefit analysis his Department conducted prior to the decision to end BBC World Service transmission of Hindi-language radio broadcasts from 1 April 2011.

Jeremy Browne: Under the broadcasting agreement between the BBC World Service and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the BBC World Service has managerial independence, except for the opening or closing of language services which requires the written authority of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. The original decision to end short wave broadcasts in Hindi was a platform change, rather than closure of a language service, so the FCO was not consulted. Following the announcement on 26 January 2011, the BBC World Service decided to retain the short wave service for one hour per day. The BBC Hindi service will continue to be transmitted on FM and online.

China: Prisons

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visits to prisons in China have been made by British embassy staff in the last 12 months; and how many  (a) UK nationals and  (b) non-UK nationals were seen.

Jeremy Browne: In the last 12 months, staff at our embassy and consulates general in China made thirty-one prison visits to UK nationals in China. In addition staff visited two Chinese prisons in connection with human rights project work.

European Court of Human Rights

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK plans to send representatives to the Council of Europe high level conference on the future of the European Court of Human Rights in April 2011; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The UK will be represented. It will be decided nearer the time at what level the UK will be represented, in the light of ongoing discussions about the format and subject matter of the conference.

Hungary: Politics and Government

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions  (a) he and  (b) his officials have had with their Hungarian counterparts on political reform in Hungary.

William Hague: UK Ministers and officials have had regular contact with their Hungarian counterparts over the past few months. I meet the Hungarian Foreign Minister, János Martonyi, every month, while the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), also spoke with his Hungarian counterpart in January 2011. These discussions covered political and economic developments across Europe.

Libya: British Nationals Abroad

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates his Department chartered each aircraft to evacuate UK nationals from Tripoli; and on what date and at what time each  (a) arrived at and  (b) departed from Tripoli Airport.

Alistair Burt: As soon as it became clear on the night of 21 February 2011 that there would be no further commercial flights to the UK from Tripoli, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs decided that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) should charter flights to bring those British nationals who wished to leave Tripoli back to the United Kingdom. The FCO worked continuously to establish the number of British nationals wishing to leave Libya and chartered aircraft or arranged other exit routes to ensure that those who wanted to leave were able to do so.
	The FCO organised six aircraft to evacuate British nationals from Tripoli:
	FCO charter flight 1 arrived at Tripoli airport at 2.47 am on 24 February 2011 and departed at 9.21 am on 24 February 2011.
	FCO charter flight 2 arrived at Tripoli airport at 6.9 pm on 24 February 2011 and departed at 1.40 am 25 February 2011.
	FCO charter flight 3 arrived at Tripoli airport at 10.49 pm on 24 February 2011 and departed at 3.13 am on 25 February 2011.
	FCO charter flight 4 arrived at Tripoli airport at 11.55 pm on 24 February 2011 and departed at 4.35 am on 25 February 2011.
	FCO charter flight 5 arrived at Tripoli airport at 8.35 am on 25 February 2011 and departed at 4.45 pm on 25 February 2011.
	FCO charter flight 6 arrived at Tripoli airport at 1.7 pm on 26 February and departed at 7.30 pm on 26 February 2011.
	In addition, a flight originally chartered by another company but used by the FCO to evacuate British nationals arrived at Tripoli airport at 5.53 pm on 23 February 2011 and departed at 3.40 am on 24 February 2011.

Libya: British Nationals Abroad

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any  (a) British and  (b) non-British citizens who were evacuated by the Royal Navy from Libya paid for their passage.

Alistair Burt: All British citizens and non-British citizens who were evacuated from Libya on Royal Navy ships did so without charge. In an evacuation, the Government cover the cost of transport out of the affected country if there are no commercial means available.

Libya: British Nationals Abroad

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  how many  (a) British and  (b) non-British nationals who used the flights from Libya chartered by his Department have not paid for those flights.
	(2)  what charge his Department made to each  (a) British and  (b) non-British national who was evacuated from Libya on aeroplanes chartered by his Department.

Alistair Burt: I refer my hon. Friend to my response to him of 9 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1146W.

Libya: Overseas Aid

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to provide assistance to areas of Libya no longer under the control of the Libyan government.

Alistair Burt: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials are in close touch with the Interim Transitional National Council based in Benghazi and other anti-regime figures. This engagement is vital to gain a better understanding of the political, military and humanitarian situation in the country, in order to underpin our response to the crisis.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs spoke by telephone to Mahmoud Jabril, Special Envoy of the Interim Transitional National Council, on 10 March 2011 confirming our co-operative dialogue and that we are working on a full range of responses to the crisis.
	We, the UN and EU are active in providing humanitarian support as the situation on the ground requires. We stand ready to respond to further requests from the Libyan people, including through rapid deployment of experts from our Civilian Stabilisation Group, to assist in areas such as stabilisation, governance and the rule of law.

Libya: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) British and  (b) non-British nationals have been evacuated by his Department from Libya to date.

Alistair Burt: holding answer 9 March 2011
	My written ministerial statement of 3 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 35-36WS on Libya: Consular Response provided details of the number of British and other nationalities who have been evacuated from Libya on UK-provided flights and ships.
	HMS Cumberland has since made a further voyage to Libya and evacuated another 10 UK citizens and 19 EU and other citizens from Benghazi on 6 March 2011.

Libya: Politics and Government

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the number of UK nationals in Libya.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of approximately 220 British nationals still in Libya. The majority are long-term residents. Many are dual nationals or spouses of Libyan nationals. To date, they have chosen to remain in Libya. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), said in his statement on 7 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 643-45, we continue to provide assistance and information for those who wish to leave.

Libya: Politics and Government

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government has taken at the United Nations in respect of the use of force against civilians by the Government of Libya.

Alistair Burt: As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), continues to make clear, we are appalled by the levels of violence in Libya. We call on Colonel Gaddafi to leave and for his regime to end the violence against their own people. On 28 February 2011, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution, drafted by the UK, which demanded an immediate end to the violence and killing of protestors and referred Libya's current leaders to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. The resolution also imposed a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo on the Libyan regime.
	The UK also played an important role in Libya's suspension from the UN Human Rights Council on 1 March 2011, a clear statement that the international community is united in its determination to hold the regime to account for the human rights abuses it has committed. The International Criminal Court Prosecutor announced the opening of his investigation on 3 March 2011.
	We continue to work closely with partners, including the UN, the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, to develop contingency plans to allow the international community to respond quickly and effectively, as required to the developing situation on the ground in Libya.

Libya: Politics and Government

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will assess the risks of weapons seized from the Libyan armed forces being used in conflicts outside of Libya.

Alistair Burt: In situations of internal conflict, there is always some risk that weapons could be diverted from the armed forces to groups both within and outside the country. It is difficult to assess the nature of that risk in Libya currently. We continue to monitor the situation closely, including with our international partners.

Myanmar: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Myanmar.

Jeremy Browne: We remain deeply concerned by the regime's continued refusal to engage in dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratic opposition and ethnic groups. The Government does not believe that the near completion of the regime's roadmap process represents progress. The regime is clearly intent on maintaining power. This is shown by the continued imprisonment of over 2000 prisoners of conscience, the deeply flawed constitution, manipulation of the electoral process, the rejection of the National League for Democracy's appeal against dissolution, and highly restrictive controls on freedom of expression. Human rights abuses also continue unabated, with ongoing arbitrary arrests and persistent corruption. Many civilians, particularly in ethnic areas, face regular threats of persecution, injustice and violence. We strongly urge the junta to work with the UN and all of Burma's political groups towards national reconciliation and a just political settlement.

Riot Control Weapons

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will investigate whether weapons and riot control equipment sold by UK companies have been used against protesters in  (a) Tunisia,  (b) Libya and  (c) Egypt.

Alistair Burt: We have raised concerns with the Governments of Tunisia and Egypt about the possibility that weapons and riot control equipment sold by the UK were used during the recent unrest, although there is no evidence as yet to suggest this was the case. We are aware of claims by Amnesty and various media that equipment sold by the UK has been used to suppress protestors and demonstrators in Libya. While operations at our embassy in Tripoli are suspended, it is not possible to confirm these claims.
	In the cases of Tunisia and Egypt, the Government revoked a number of licenses where there was a risk that arms sold by the UK may be used to breach human rights or aggravate internal tensions. In the case of Libya, the Government took the decision to revoke all export licences for equipment that could be used in internal repression and will refuse all future applications for military and security related goods and technology for the Qadhafi regime.

Thailand: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Thailand.

Jeremy Browne: Prime Minister Abhisit made clear his intention to call a general election in June. However, tensions between the anti-government and nationalist groups continue. Whilst there have been no serious outbreaks of violence since the unrest of March-May 2010, demonstrations by both anti-government (Red Shirt) and nationalist (Yellow Shirt) groups continue in central Bangkok. The Red Shirts continue to demonstrate twice a month to mark the violent incidents that took place in April and May last year. Since January this year, the "Yellow Shirt" People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and the Thai Patriot Network have been demonstrating outside Government House over the government's handling of the ongoing Thai/Cambodia border dispute. These protests have been peaceful, but there is a still a risk they could escalate and lead to outbreaks of violence.
	The UK continues to urge the Thai Government to take forward the national reconciliation process as a matter of priority.

Tibet: Politics and Government

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions issues relating to Tibet have been raised with the government of China by staff of his Department in the last 12 months.

Jeremy Browne: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials have regularly raised the issue of Tibet with the Government of China.
	During 2010 FCO staff visited the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), where they had meetings with local officials and raised issues relating to China's treatment of its ethnic minorities, and Tibetan areas of Sichuan and Gansu provinces. Staff have pressed for better access to the TAR by diplomats and foreign journalists. In the last 12 months FCO staff have been consistent in signalling the UK's hopes for a positive outcome to talks with the Dalai Lama. We have consistently expressed concern over the numbers of Tibetans in detention in TAR, Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai in relation to the March 2008 unrest and the related death sentences. Officials have also expressed concern over cultural rights and religious freedom in Tibet. In 2011 FCO officials used the 19th round of the UK-China human rights dialogue to raise our concerns regarding the rights and freedoms of the Tibetan people, and urged China to renew its dialogue with the Dalai Lama.
	We continue to monitor the situation in Tibet carefully.

United Nations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on United Nations reform.

Henry Bellingham: We are a strong supporter of UN reform, promoting a more efficient and effective use of resources and improved working methods. We encourage more co-ordination across the UN system and better value for the money contributed by member states. I discussed UN reform issues recently with the UN Secretary-General and President of the UN General Assembly on a visit to New York on 9-11 March 2011.

United Nations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the United Nations; and if he will make a statement.

Henry Bellingham: The UK is a long-standing, committed and proactive member of the UN. We are the fourth largest contributor to the UN regular budget and, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, we play a leading role in international peace and security issues. We will continue to work closely with international partners on these issues through the UN framework.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Zimbabwe.

Henry Bellingham: We are deeply concerned by the recent increase in politically motivated intimidation and violence in Zimbabwe, in contravention of the spirit of the Global Political Agreement. In particular, we condemn the arrest and treatment in detention of 45 people for watching publicly available footage of events in North Africa, and the arrest of the Minister of Energy on spurious charges. We have made our views known to the Government of Zimbabwe. We urge all parties, including the security forces and the judiciary, to discharge their duties in an impartial manner.
	Even though there has been considerable economic progress in Zimbabwe since the formation of the Inclusive Government in 2008, it has not been matched by equivalent political reform. It is clear that there is still a long way to go before the country can be considered stable and democratic. A number of key provisions of the Global Political Agreement remain unimplemented. And the general conditions necessary for free and fair elections have yet to be established.
	We continue to engage with our international partners, including Southern African Development Community and South Africa, in support of their work on preparing a roadmap to elections.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Prisoners

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what definition of a serious offence will be used in connection with the enfranchisement of prisoners.

Mark Harper: The Government are considering the next steps on prisoner voting rights in view of the strength of feeling on this issue in the UK, as demonstrated by the recent debates in Parliament. The Government have sought to refer the "Greens and MT" judgment against the UK to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights. If the Grand Chamber agrees to the referral they will look again at the case and issue their own judgment.
	The Government will set out their intended approach in due course.

Protection of Freedoms Bill

Greg Knight: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister at what time on 15 February 2011  (a) the written ministerial statement on the Protection of Freedoms Bill: Public Reading Stage was delivered to the House and  (b) the embargo was lifted on the press release issued on 14 February 2011 relating to the launch of the Public Reading Stage website.

George Young: I have been asked to reply.
	The written ministerial statement was tabled as part of the ongoing process for keeping the House informed, and was issued at the normal time. This was preceded by the lifting of the embargo on the press notice at one minute past midnight on the morning of the 15 February. The decision to introduce the pilot of a 'public reading stage' of Bills was included in the coalition agreement and further notified to the House during oral questions on 21 June 2010,  Official Report , column 512W, in response to written parliamentary questions, including on 14 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 270-71W, and in correspondence with the Procedure Committee in August 2010. I will have further discussions on the development of the public reading stage of Bills following the pilot of the public reading stage of the Protection of Freedoms Bill

CABINET OFFICE

Childbirth

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many birth certificates have been issued for babies born at under 21 weeks of pregnancy in each year from 2005 to 2010;
	(2)  how many death certificates have been issued for babies born at under 21 weeks of pregnancy in each year from 2005 to 2010.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking i) how many birth certificates have been issued for babies born at under 21 weeks of pregnancy in each year from 2005 to 2010 (46721) and ii) how many death certificates have been issued for babies born at under 21 weeks of pregnancy in each year from 2005 to 2010 (46722).
	Information on gestational age (length of pregnancy) is not routinely recorded at the registration of live births. However, ONS links birth registrations to NHS birth notifications data to publish figures by gestational age. These figures are less timely than statistics based on birth registrations only. Figures are not reported for individual weeks of gestation but grouped at 'under 22 weeks', divided according to whether the birthweight is consistent for the baby's gestational age (under 1,000g) or inconsistent (1,000g or over). In the latter case, there may have been an error in the recording of either gestational age or birthweight.
	Table 1 below provides the numbers of (i) live births and (ii) infant deaths for babies with a reported gestational age of 22 weeks or less for 2005-2008, the most recent period for which figures are available.
	Published statistics on births and infant deaths by gestational age for England and Wales, 2007-2008 are available on the Office for National Statistics website:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=15309
	Figures for 2006 are available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/HSQ42.pdf
	(Pages 78-87)
	Figures for 2005 are available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/HSQ35.pdf
	(Pages 13-27)
	
		
			  Table 1: Live births and infant deaths for babies born with a gestational age of less than 22 weeks, 2005-08 ,  England and Wales 
			  Number 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008 
			  Under 22 weeks gestational age and  birthweight  <1,000g: 
			 Live births 212 196 143 225 
			 Infant deaths 209 193 139 219 
			  Low gestational age inconsistent with birthweight( 1) : 
			 Live births 100 102 133 94 
			 Infant deaths 27 38 72 26 
			 (1) Under 22 weeks gestational age and birthweight 1,000g or over Trusted Statistics-Understanding the UK

Departmental Food

William Bain: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the proportion of the seafood procured for  (a) his Department and  (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible that (i) was on the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid and (ii) complied with sustainability standards indicated by inclusion in either the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to eat or by the list of fish species certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in (A) 2010 and (B) 2011 to date.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office does not procure any seafood that is on the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid. All fish procured complies with sustainability standards indicated by inclusion in either the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to eat or by the list of fish species certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in (A) 2010 and (B) 2011 to date.

Departmental Internet

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost of setting up and administering the Your Freedom website has been to date.

Francis Maude: The total cost to date for the build of the Your Freedom website was £19,853.98 excluding VAT.

Departmental Legal Costs

David Nuttall: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 409W, on public relations, whether any funds from the public purse were spent on legal fees in relation to the incident involving Mr Damian McBride, the Red Rag website and associated emails.

Francis Maude: holding  answer 14 March 2011
	This Government are not accountable for the decisions and actions of the previous Government.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what regulations his Department revoked between 2 February 2011 and 28 February 2011.

Francis Maude: holding answer 14 March 2011
	 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr Redwood) on 22 November 2010,  Official Report, column 140W. The position in the Cabinet Office has not changed since then.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what reasons persons not employed by Government departments or agencies are issued with passes entitling them to enter his Department's premises.

Francis Maude: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 February 2011,  Official Report, column 202W.

Government Departments: ICT

David Blunkett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he plans to publish the Government's ICT strategy.

Francis Maude: The Government's ICT strategy will be published in spring this year.

Government Departments: Procurement

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance his Department provides to other Government Departments on the minimum monetary value for a procurement project for which a senior responsible owner is required.

Francis Maude: holding answer 10 March 2011
	 There is no minimum monetary value for a procurement project for which a senior responsible owner is required. Cabinet Office has published guidance stating that every project must have a senior responsible owner appointed, with personal accountability and overall responsibility for the delivery of a successful outcome.
	The Cabinet Office guidance is available at
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/introduction_to_projects__controlled_start-up.asp
	Cabinet Office has also published guidance on the role of a SRO, including purpose; specific responsibilities; characteristics; and key questions. This is available at:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/User_roles_in_the_toolkit_senior_responsible_owner.asp
	Treasury has published guidance on project governance for public sector projects. This guidance aims to help public sector bodies put in place and maintain the structures and forums that are needed for effective project governance, at all stages in the project lifecycle. This includes information on the role of senior responsible owners.
	The guidance is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/ppp_projectgovernanceguidance231107.pdf

Government Efficiency Review

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which of the recommendations from Sir Philip Green's Efficiency Review have been implemented to date.

Francis Maude: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 20 December 2010,  Official Report, House of Lords, column WA265. Sir Philip's recommendations have been incorporated into ongoing programmes within the Efficiency and Reform Group.

Public Sector: Industrial Disputes

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent discussions his Department has had with  (a) employment agencies and  (b) other private sector contractors on contingency plans to operate services in the event of industrial action by public sector workers.

Francis Maude: holding answer 10 March 2011
	The Cabinet Office has not held any recent discussions with either employment agencies or other private sector contractors on contingency plans to operate services in the event of industrial action by public sector workers.

Public Sector: Industrial Disputes

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what contingency plans his Department is developing to operate services in the event of industrial action by public sector workers; how many staff of his Department are engaged in such planning; and what the name is of each unit or working group established for this purpose.

Francis Maude: holding answer 10 March 2011
	Individual organisations, be they Government Departments or part of the critical national infrastructure, are responsible for ensuring that they have in place effective contingency plans to respond to a wide range of disruptive challenges, including the risk of industrial action. The Civil Contingencies Secretariat in the Cabinet Office works with Departments to ensure robust plans are in place to mitigate the risk of significant disruption to essential services.

TREASURY

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Karen Lumley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what legal advice he has received on the introduction of an  (a) voluntary and  (b) mandatory minimum price for alcohol.

Justine Greening: Alcohol pricing policy is led by the Home Office. Treasury Ministers and officials are in regular contact with the Home Office about a range of alcohol-related issues.

Bank Services: Standards

David Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the banking industry on reducing the time taken to clear cheques into bank accounts.

Mark Hoban: Changes to improve cheque clearing times were introduced in November 2007. As a result, a payee starts earning interest two working days after depositing a cheque; can withdraw funds against the cheque four working days after paying it in, or six working days after paying it into a savings account; and can be sure that a cheque will not bounce six working days after it has been deposited, unless the customer or business was a knowing party to fraud.
	Many banks offer a faster cheque presentation service at extra cost.

Banks: Pay

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the merits of implementing the recommendation made by the Walker Review of corporate governance of the UK banking industry on the compulsory disclosure by financial institutions based in the UK of the number of their employees who earn more than £1 million per annum.

Mark Hoban: The Government are committed to a robust remuneration disclosure regime and the principles set out in Sir David Walker's report.
	The Chancellor has called on counterparts in the European Union to urgently consider proposals to strengthen remuneration disclosure. While there is a range of views among the international community, there is support for an internationally consistent approach to remuneration disclosure.
	As a result of the Government's recent discussions, the four largest UK banks have committed to world-leading pay disclosure arrangements. When taken together with the Financial Services Authority's sector-wide regime, which includes implementation of the capital requirements directive, these will make the UK's disclosure arrangements the toughest of any major financial centre.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on  (a) salaries and  (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date.

Justine Greening: For the period 1 April 2010 to 31 January 2011, £315,304 was paid in salaries (including earnings related national insurance contributions) and £51,628 in pension contributions to special advisers employed by both the current and previous Administrations.

Departmental Procurement

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many procurement projects with a monetary value greater than  (a) £10 million,  (b) £50 million and  (c) £100 million (i) his Department and (ii) each non-departmental public body and agency for which he is responsible was engaged upon in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  which procurement projects engaged upon by  (a) his Department and  (b) each non-departmental public body and agency for which he is responsible had a designated senior responsible owner in the latest period for which figures are available; and on what date each officer was appointed in each such case.

Justine Greening: In financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 to date, HM Treasury Group have engaged or are currently engaged in three projects with a procurement element (including VAT) valued at greater than £10 million. There are no projects expected to exceed either £50 million or £100 million.
	It is standard HM Treasury Group practice for all major projects to be allocated a designated Senior Responsible Owner. Data for all projects for the period requested can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. However, the three projects referenced above all have SROs who were appointed on the date of project initiation.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what regulations his Department introduced between 9 and 28 February 2011.

Justine Greening: Between 9 February and 28 February 2011, my Department introduced the one statutory instrument: the Libya (Financial Sanctions) Order (SI 2011/548).

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what regulations his Department revoked between 9 and 28 February 2011.

Justine Greening: Between 9 and 28 February 2011, the Treasury did not revoke any statutory instruments.

EU Budget

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the future of the UK rebate from the EU budget;
	(2)  what reports he has received on proposals for the future of the UK rebate from the EU budget made by the Danish Government; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has discussions with EU counterparts on a variety of issues on a regular basis. Currently there is no formal proposal for the future of the EU financing system including the UK abatement. Formal negotiations on the next Financial Framework (2014-20) will not start until the Commission issues its proposal, expected in June2011.
	However, the UK Government have made it clear from the beginning that the UK abatement is not up for negotiation and remains fully justified due to continuing expenditure distortions in EU budget.

Excise Duties: Beer

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what inflation rate his Department assumed in calculating the additional revenue forecast from the beer duty escalator for 2011-12; and what change would be required to the rate of beer duty to raise the same tax revenue using his most recent forecast of inflation.

Justine Greening: The Office of Budget Responsibility's autumn forecast assumed RPI of 3.5% in 2011-12, and the latest outturn for January 2011 is 5.1%. A new inflation forecast for 2011-12, taking into account latest out-turn data, will be published by OBR at the Budget (23 March).

Excise Duties: Beer

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which alcoholic attracts the lowest rate of duty per unit; and whether his Department has made an estimate of how much the duty on spirits would need to change to cost the same price per unit as that for beer.

Justine Greening: Duties on beer and spirits are charged in direct proportion to their alcohol content: duty on beer is currently equivalent to 17p per unit of alcohol and duty on spirits is 24p per unit. The final price of a product and therefore the cost per unit of alcohol depends on a number of factors and is a commercial decision for retailers.

Excise Duties: Beer

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the brewing and pub sector to economic growth;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the  (a) rate of and  (b) amount of revenue raised through beer duty on the level of beer consumption in the last three years;
	(3)  what recent assessment he has made of the effects of the rate of beer duty on levels of  (a) economic activity,  (b) tourism and  (c) economic growth; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what assessment his Department has made of the effects of  (a) the application of the beer duty escalator and  (b) the increase in the rate of value added tax in January 2011 on levels of employment in the beer and pub sector;
	(5)  what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the beer duty escalator on  (a) on-trade beer sales,  (b) off-trade beer sales,  (c) levels of employment,  (d) local economies and  (e) tax revenues in (i) the last three years and (ii) 2011-12;
	(6)  what assessment he has made of the effect of implementation of the planned beer duty escalator on the level of employment in  (a) each region,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Wales,  (d) Northern Ireland and  (e) the UK.

Justine Greening: The brewing and pub industry represent important local businesses but are a comparatively small part of the total economy. This means that even large changes in the size of the industry have a limited impact on overall economic growth.
	Although alcohol consumption is not directly measured, for annual data clearances are a good proxy. Alcohol rates, receipts and clearances are published by HM Revenue and Customs and are available online at
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bullAlcohol
	
		
			   Clearances ( T housand  hl)  Revenue (£ million) 
			 2007-08 52,920 3,067 
			 2008-09 49,723 3,127 
			 2009-10 46,894 3,182 
		
	
	
		
			  Date of change  Beer duty rate (£ per hectolitre per 1% ABV) 
			 26 March 2007 13.71 
			 17 March 2008 14.96 
			 1 December 2008 16.15 
			 23 April 2009 16.47 
			 29 March 2010 17.32 
			  Source: HMRC Alcohol Bulletin March 2011 
		
	
	From changes in duty we can estimate the price effects and, from there, the overall demand effects. HMRC estimate that a 1% increase in prices, results in a 0.77% decrease in sales in the on trade and a 1.11% reduction in sales in the off trade. These results are published in the following technical paper:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/alcohol-consumption-uk.pdf
	The Office for National Statistics publishes regular expenditure statistics in Consumer Trends, available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/product.asp?vlnk=242
	The following table shows beer expenditure in off and on licensed premises at current prices.
	
		
			  Expenditure on beer (£ million) at current prices 
			   Off trade  On trade 
			 2007-08 3,282 15,130 
			 2008-09 3,464 14,404 
			 2009-10 3,744 12,999 
			  Source: ONS Consumer Trends Q3 2010 
		
	
	The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) publish statistics on employment in the manufacture of beer and malt and in licensed retailing and related industries in Great Britain.
	
		
			  Employees ( T housand) 
			   2007  2008  2009 
			 Manufacture of beer and malt 15.7 15.6 - 
			 Total employed in hotels, restaurants, pubs and clubs 1,561 1,557 1,503 
			  Source: BBPA Statistical Handbook 2010 
		
	
	The impacts of individual measures or effects on specific sectors, such as tourism, are not studied in isolation. Instead, as part of the Budget process macroeconomic effects, such as economic growth and employment are considered, including regional variations, for the whole package of economic measures. The total impact of all Budget measures is also included in the OBR's economic forecast.

Financial Services: Pay

Edward Balls: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what details  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department had with their European counterparts on securing agreement on transparency of executive pay in the financial services sector between 12 May 2010 and 30 January 2011; and what the (i) attendance list and (ii) agenda was of each such meeting.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 10 February 2011
	As was the case with the previous Government, Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
	Remuneration disclosure has been discussed as part of the Government's dialogue with other jurisdictions, and the Chancellor has called on counterparts in the European Union to consider urgently proposals to strengthen remuneration disclosure. While there is a range of views among the international community, there is support for an internationally consistent approach to remuneration disclosure.
	As a result of the Government's recent discussions, the four largest UK banks have committed that the total remuneration paid in 2010 will be lower than it was in 2009, and lower than it would have been otherwise. The Remuneration Committee Chair of each bank will write to the FSA to confirm that the commitment has been met. These banks have also committed to world-leading pay disclosure arrangements which, when taken together with the FSA's sector wide regime, make the UK's disclosure arrangements the toughest of any major financial centre. The Government expect that these commitments will be met.

Financial Services: Pay

Edward Balls: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made on discussions with his European counterparts on increasing transparency in executive pay in the financial services sector.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 1 0 February 2011
	Remuneration disclosure has been discussed as part of the Government's dialogue with other jurisdictions and we continue to consider proposals to strengthen remuneration disclosure, including of executive pay in the financial services sector.
	The Chancellor has called on counterparts in the European Union to urgently consider proposals to strengthen remuneration disclosure. While there is a range of views among the international community, there is support for an internationally consistent approach to remuneration disclosure.
	As a result of the Government's recent discussions, the four largest UK banks have committed that the total remuneration paid in 2010 will be lower than it was in 2009, and lower than it would have been otherwise. The Remuneration Committee Chair of each bank will write to the FSA to confirm that the commitment has been met. These banks have also committed to world-leading pay disclosure arrangements which, when taken together with the FSA's sector wide regime, make the UK's disclosure arrangements the toughest of any major financial centre. The Government expect that these commitments will be met.

Housing: Construction

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many self-build home projects there were in  (a) Brighton and Hove,  (b) Sussex and  (c) nationally in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010.

Grant Shapps: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on how many self build projects are built each year is limited. The best available information comes from VAT refund claims held by HMRC for new housing completions (both new-build and conversions) and relate to the UK as a whole, although this information does not cover all self build development. In 2008 there were some 10,480 claims accepted and paid to claimants. In 2009 the figure was 9,550 and in 2010 this reduced to 7,080.
	No data are available at more detailed geographic levels.

Individual Savings Accounts: Children

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what progress he has made on the facilitation of a voluntary scheme for financial institutions and the third sector to contribute to the junior ISAs of children in care;
	(2)  on what date he expects the junior ISA to be operational;
	(3)  which organisations officials in his Department have met to discuss the junior ISA since 1 January 2011;
	(4)  how many expressions of interest in the junior ISA had been received via the tax free junior ISA website at 9 March 2011;
	(5)  how many unique visitors have visited the tax-free junior ISA website since its inception.

Mark Hoban: Junior ISAs are expected to be available from autumn 2011. Draft regulations will be published for comment shortly, which will include a proposed date for the legislation to have effect.
	Treasury officials have met with a large number of organisations-including potential providers and their representative bodies; think tanks; academics and other experts; and other Government Departments-to discuss Junior ISAs since 1 January 2011. Officials will continue to consult with interested parties.
	These meetings have included discussion of the potential of a voluntary scheme for financial institutions and charities to contribute to the junior ISAs of looked after children, and officials intend to meet further stakeholders shortly. We will continue to consider this carefully.
	The Government have not established any website for tax-free Junior ISAs, although information about Junior ISAs is available on the Direct.gov website.

Insurance: Females

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effect on UK law of the recent European Court of Justice ruling on gender discrimination in  (a) insurance payments and  (b) annuities; and whether he plans to take steps to mitigate any potentially adverse effects.

Mark Hoban: The Government are disappointed by this judgment. We made very clear our concerns about any move to prevent the use of gender as a risk factor in the pricing of insurance policies.
	The judgment allows a transitional period for insurance companies to introduce different models for assessing risk. We will use this period to decide how best to ensure that our national law is in lie with the ruling, and therefore provide certainty for insurers and consumers.
	In the meantime it is for individual insurers to decide what steps they take to comply with the ruling.
	The Government will continue to work closely with the Financial Services Authority and Association of British Insurers in order to ensure that the negative impacts for customers and industry are reduced as far as possible.

Members: Correspondence

Amber Rudd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Hastings and Rye of 23 September 2010, Ref: AR/LS/195, and 26 November 2010, Ref: AR/LS/635 on behalf of a constituent, Mr Robert Wakeford.

Danny Alexander: I replied to my hon. Friend on 11 March 2011.

Rented Housing: Selby

Nigel Adams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to reverse the increase in rental prices in the Selby District Council area.

Grant Shapps: I have been asked to reply.
	The policy on setting the annual local authority guideline rent increase was introduced by the last Government with the aim of aligning council housing and housing association rents. Reducing social rents would be unsustainable for local authorities and the Exchequer, particularly given the current financial constraints due to the need to reduce the budget deficit inherited from the last Government.

Scotland: Finance

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he notified the Scottish Government of the proposed end of end-year flexibility.

Danny Alexander: The end-year flexibility scheme was discussed at the Finance Ministers' Quadrilateral meeting on 15 September 2010 and the arrangements for 2011-12 were confirmed in the spending review on 20 October 2010.

Third Sector

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has plans to align legislation governing co-operatives, community benefit societies and credit unions with that governing other corporate bodies.

Mark Hoban: The Government are undertaking a number of measures that will modernise the legislative framework for mutuals and better align it with legislation applying to other corporate bodies.
	The Legislative Reform (Industrial and Provident Societies and Credit Unions) Order will update legislation to enable mutuals to expand and grow and will be re-laid in Parliament shortly.
	The Government will also commence clauses in the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies and Credit Unions Act which apply various elements of company law to co-operatives.
	The Government have consulted on enabling the greater use of electronic communications by mutuals and the "Electronic Communications in the Mutual Sector" Order will be laid shortly. This will increase the options available to mutuals for engaging with their members and with statutory bodies, thereby bringing the legislation up to date and putting mutuals on a more equal footing with plcs.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Day Care

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what transitional protection arrangements will be put in place for parents in receipt of assistance with childcare costs at the point at which universal credit is introduced.

Chris Grayling: Support for child care costs will be provided by an additional element as part of universal credit. We will invest at least the same amount of money in child care as in the current system, and we will aim to provide some support for those making their first moves into work, so that the support available is not restricted to those working more than 16 hours.
	We have agreed a package of transitional protection which will ensure that families do not lose money as a direct result of moving onto universal credit where their circumstances remain the same.

Community Care Grants

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider amending the eligibility criteria for community care grants to include people entitled to contributory benefits.

Steve Webb: The Government have no plans to extend the qualifying criteria for Community Care Grants. They are payable from a limited budget and are targeted at the most vulnerable customers in receipt of income-related benefits.
	Subject to the successful passage of the legislation, we are taking powers in the Welfare Reform Bill to abolish the discretionary Social Fund. Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for general living expenses will be replaced with new, local provision of assistance from April 2013 and will be the responsibility of local authorities in England and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales. It will be up to the new local providers to determine eligibility criteria for the local schemes.

Crisis Loans

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many social fund crisis loans were paid in each parliamentary constituency in the last 12 months.

Steve Webb: The available information is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Jobcentre Plus Social Fund budget area by region  Number of initial awards between March 2010 and February 2011 
			  East of England  
			 Essex 63,250 
			 Norwich Benefit Delivery Centre 131,890 
			   
			  East Midlands  
			 East Midlands North 66,660 
			 South East Midlands 85,270 
			   
			  London  
			 Central and East London 66,670 
			 London South 109,890 
			 North and North East London 64,160 
			 West London 57,800 
			   
			  North East  
			 Northumbria 53,710 
			 South Tyne and Wear Valley 69,100 
			 Tees Valley 51,190 
			   
			  North West  
			 Chorlton Benefit Delivery Centre 316,210 
			 Greater Liverpool and Cheshire 171,450 
			   
			  Scotland  
			 Inverness Benefit Delivery Centre 107,780 
			 Springburn Benefit Delivery Centre 239,490 
			   
			  South East  
			 Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey 96,220 
			 Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent and Sussex 194,820 
			   
			  South West  
			 South West Central 149,330 
			   
			  Wales  
			 Llanelli Benefit Delivery Centre 47,550 
			 South East Wales 97,050 
			   
			  West Midlands  
			 West Midlands Social Fund 220,440 
			   
			  Yorkshire and Humber  
			 Bradford 67,500 
			 Sheffield 161,340 
			   
			 Total Great Britain 2,688,750 
			  Notes: 1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as official/National Statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, it does not include applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System. 2. Information on Crisis Loan awards is not available by parliamentary constituency however information is available by Jobcentre Plus budget area and Government office region. 3. Numbers are for initial awards only and do not include awards made after review. 4. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. 5. Figures may not sum due to rounding.  Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System

Crisis Loans

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many defaults there were in social fund crisis loans in the last 12 months.

Steve Webb: The number of crisis loan write-offs in the 2009-10 financial year was 6,649.
	Data have been included up to and including 2009-10, the latest year for which the audited social fund account is available.

Crisis Loans

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to allow remote telephone applications to the social fund crisis loan scheme.

Steve Webb: Crisis loan applications for living expenses are already taken by telephone via a freephone number. Vulnerable customers who are unable or unwilling to make a telephone application can apply in writing.
	Customers making their third or subsequent application for a crisis loan for living expenses within a 12 month period may be required to attend a face to face interview at the Jobcentre.
	Crisis loan applications for needs other than living expenses are usually made in writing.

Crisis Loans: Disability

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many social fund crisis loans were made to  (a) individuals registered as disabled,  (b) individuals over the pension age and  (c) lone parent households in the last 12 months.

Steve Webb: The available information is provided as follows:
	
		
			  Client group  Number of initial awards March 2010 to February 2011 in Great Britain 
			 Disabled 443,410 
			 Lone parents 287,580 
			 Others 233,990 
			 Pensioners 17,320 
			 Unemployed 1,706,450 
			 All initial awards 2,688,750 
			  Notes: 1. The information provided is management information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National Statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, it does not include applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the social fund computer system. 2. Breakdowns of social fund crisis loan awards are not available in the categories requested however it is possible to break the awards down into client groups definitions of these client groups are given as follows. Pensioners-applicant or partner aged 60 or over with pension credit, applicant or partner aged 60 or over in receipt of state retirement pension. Includes also where applicant is under 60 and partner is: 60 or over with income support (IS) pensioner premium, 80 or over with IS higher pensioner premium, 60-79, disabled with IS higher pensioner premium. Unemployed-includes anyone unemployed or with training allowance. Disabled-is not people registered disabled however it includes people in receipt of employment and support allowance, applicant or partner aged under 60 with IS disability premium, lone parent with IS disability premium, family with IS disability premium, others with IS disability premium or in receipt of other benefit for incapacity or disablement. Lone parents-person who has no partner and is in receipt of income support because they are responsible for a child. Others-applicants involved in a trade dispute, in paid employment, not known or unallocated. 3. Numbers are for initial awards only and do not include awards made after review. 4. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. 5. Figures may not sum due to rounding.  Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Crisis Loans: Repayments

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken to repay a social fund crisis loan was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.

Departmental Interpreters

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for which services provided by  (a) his Department and  (b) its associated public bodies interpreters provide services in a language or languages other than English; how many interpreters are employed or subcontracted for each non-English language; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of interpretation costs incurred in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is as follows:
	 For DWP (including CMEC):
	(a) The following is a list of the languages that have been serviced:
	Afar
	Afrikaans
	Akan
	Albanian
	Alcholi
	Amharic
	Arabic
	Armenian
	Asante
	Assamese
	Assyrian
	Azerbaijani
	Bahasa Indonesia
	Basque
	Belarussian
	Bengali
	Berber
	British Sign Language
	Bulgarian
	Burmese
	Cambodian
	Cantonese
	Catalan
	Cebuano
	Chaldean
	Creole (Haitian)
	Czech
	Danish
	Dinka
	Dutch
	Esperanto
	Estonian
	Ewe
	Fanti
	Farsi (Afghan)
	Farsi (Persian)
	Finnish
	Flemish
	French
	French (Canada)
	Fukienese
	Fulani
	Fuzhou
	Ga
	Gaelic (Scottish)
	Georgian
	German
	Greek
	Gujarati
	Hakka
	Hausa
	Hebrew
	Hindi
	Hmong
	Hungarian
	Ibo
	Icelandic
	Ilocano
	Italian
	Japanese
	Jula
	Kachchi
	Kashmiri
	Kazakh
	Kirghiz
	Kongo
	Korean
	Krio
	Kurdish (Kurmanji)
	Kurdish (Sorani)
	Kurdish Bandini
	Laotian
	Latvian
	Lingala
	Lithuanian
	Lugandan
	Macedonian
	Malagasy
	Malay
	Malayalam
	Maltese
	Mandarin
	Mandinka
	Marathi
	Mirpuri
	Mongolian
	Mwini
	Ndebele
	Nepali
	Norwegian
	Nuer
	Oromo
	Pahari
	Pangasinan
	Papiamento
	Pashto
	Pidgin, Nigerian
	Polish
	Portuguese
	Pothwari
	Pulaar
	Punjabi
	Romanian
	Russian
	Rwandan
	Serbo-Croat
	Shanghainese
	Shona
	Sinhala
	Slovak
	Slovene
	Somali
	Spanish
	Sudanese
	Swahili
	Swati
	Swedish
	Sylheti
	Tagalog
	Taiwanese
	Tajik
	Tamil
	Telugu
	Thai
	Thmne
	Tibetan
	Tigrinya
	Tongan
	Trukese
	Tshiluba
	Turkish
	Turkmen
	Twi
	Ukrainian
	Urdu
	Uzbek
	Vietnamese
	Welsh
	Wolof
	Xhosa
	Yiddish
	Yoruba
	Zulu.
	(b) The total number of subcontracted interpreters available for use is approximately 2,200. Data are not held for the number of interpreters that are employed or subcontracted for each non-English language.
	(c) Spend for face-to-face (including British Sign Language) and telephone interpreting for 2009-10 is £5.5 million and from April 2010 to January 2011 (the latest data) is £5.5million.
	(d) DWP's written translation is currently provided through internal Welsh language teams supported by a contract with Corporate Document Services. We have 15 people working internally on Welsh language provision and 190 sub-contractors were used by Corporate Document Services during 2010. In the current financial year to date DWP has spent £355,364 on written translation.
	 For associated public bodies:
	 Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board:
	In the 2009-10 financial year DLAAB spent:
	BSL interpreter: £262.30
	Speech to text reporter: £661.85.
	In the 2010-11 financial year up to 14 December 2010, DLAAB spent:
	BSL interpreter: £0.00
	Speech to text reporter: £318.40.
	 Health and Safety Executive:
	HSE does not employ interpreters. The number of interpreters contracted or sub-contracted by HSE for each non-English language for the period 1 April 2010 to 18 February 2011 was 61. The breakdown for the number of interpreters for each language is: Arabic (two), Bulgarian (one), Danish (one), Dari (one), Gujarati (four), Hindi (three), Lithuanian (two), Nepalese (one), Polish (24), Portuguese (three), Punjabi (four), Romanian (two), Russian (three), Slovak (three), Somali (one), Turkish (two) and Urdu (four).
	The number of interpreters contracted or sub-contracted by HSE for each non-English language from 01 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 was 81. The breakdown for the number of interpreters for each language is: Albanian (two), Amharic (one), Arabic (three), Cantonese (one), Czech (one), Gujarati (one), Kurdish (two), Latvian (two), Lithuanian (seven), Mandarin (one), Nepalese, (one) Polish (35), Portuguese (one), Punjabi (two), Romanian (three), Russian (nine), Shona (one), Slovak (one), Tamil (one), Turkish (four) and Urdu (two).
	HSE also uses the services of a telephone interpreting company who have provided interpreters for the following additional languages: Croatian, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Korean and Spanish.
	The cost to the public purse for this interpreting services was £35,935.76 from 1 April 2010 to 18 February 2011, and £40,268.50 from 01 April 2009 to 31 March 2010.
	 Remploy:
	Remploy sub-contracted the following interpreters to provide services in a language or languages other than English:
	
		
			   Number of interpreters  Cost (£) 
			 2009-10 172 182,000 
			 2010-11 (to 31 January2011) 188 185,000

Departmental Manpower

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in his Department were in the civil service redeployment pool on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many of these had been in the redeployment pool for more than six months at that date.

Chris Grayling: The Department does not currently have a redeployment pool. Any member of staff who becomes unavoidably surplus because of organisational or other changes is managed within the normal lines of management.
	At the end of January there were 239 members of staff classified as surplus. This represents 0.2% of the total departmental staff. Of these surplus staff 139 had been classified as surplus for six months or more.
	The Department aims to redeploy surplus staff, wherever feasible. This is not however always straightforward, particularly in cases where staff, in more junior grades, have become surplus due to changes in working practices, new business processes or as a result of site closures.
	Staff who are surplus are provided with meaningful work until their position is resolved.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Pat McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on photography since May 2010.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions has spent £4,219.16 since May 2010 on photography. £461.20 of these costs were incurred before May 2010 (by the previous administration), but invoiced in May 2010.
	The Department is reviewing all expenditure with a view to driving out inefficiencies and delivering value for money for the taxpayer. All photography is now undertaken by DWP staff.

Disability Living Allowance

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) higher and  (b) lower rate of disability living allowance (i) is and (ii) was in each of the last five years.

Maria Miller: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Rates of disability living allowance in last five years 
			  £ 
			  Component/rate:  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			  Care Highest 62.25 64.50 67.00 70.35 71.40 
			  Middle 41.65 43.15 44.85 47.10 47.80 
			  Lowest 16.50 17.10 17.75 18.65 18.95 
			
			  Mobility Higher 43.45 45.00 46.75 49.10 49.85 
			  Lower 16.50 17.10 17.75 18.65 18.95

Disability Living Allowance

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Carshalton and Wallington constituency are receiving disability living allowance for an indefinite period in each combination of components.

Maria Miller: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  DLA in payment by care and mobility rate and award type in Carshalton and Wallington constituency-May 2010 
			   Award type 
			  Rate/combination  Fixed  Indefinite 
			 All 1,600 2,300 
			 Higher Care and Higher Mobility (1)200 (1)300 
			 Higher Care and Lower Mobility (1)100 - 
			 Higher Care only - - 
			 Middle Care and Higher Mobility (1)100 (1)400 
			 Middle Care and Lower Mobility 700 (1)300 
			 Middle Care only (1)100 - 
			 Lower Care and Higher Mobility (1)100 (1)300 
			 Lower Care and Lower Mobility (1)100 (1)100 
			 Lower Care only (1)100 (1)200 
			 Higher Mobility only - (1)400 
			 Lower Mobility only - (1)200 
			 (1) Figures are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should only be used as a guide.  Notes: 1. DLA figures are from 5% sample data. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. The preferred statistics on benefits are now derived from 100% data sources. However, the 5% sample data still provide some detail not yet available from the 100% data sources, in particular, more complete information on the disabling condition of DLA claimants. DWP recommends that, where the detail is only available on the 5% sample data, or disabling condition (DLA) is required, the proportions derived should be scaled up to the overall 100% total for the benefit. This has been done for this request. 3. Caseload totals show the number of people in receipt of DLA, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

Disability Living Allowance: Appeals

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) men and  (b) women in each age group had their application to receive (i) higher and (ii) lower rate disability living allowance rejected in each of the last five years; on what grounds such applications were rejected; how many applicants appealed against the decision; and how many such appeals were (A) upheld and (B) rejected.

Maria Miller: The information that is available is in the following table.
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Decisions made on DLA new claims 492,000 423,000 456,000 467,000 481,000 
			 Rejected lay conditions not satisfied 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 
			 Rejected disability conditions not satisfied 227,000 225,000 247,000 251,000 266,000 
			 DLA appeals decided by the Tribunal Service 69,000 63,000 57,000 53,000 51,000 
			 Appeal upheld 34,000 30,000 26,000 23,000 21,000 
			 Appeal rejected 35,000 33,000 31,000 30,000 30,000' 
			  Notes: 1. We are not able break the data down by gender or age as requested. This is because our management information data on DLA new claims and appeal outcomes does not go down to that level of detail. 2. The grounds for rejection are broken down to those who did not satisfy the lay conditions, i.e. age or residence and presence, and those who satisfy the lay conditions but not the disability conditions. 3. The figure for DLA appeals in the table is the total number of DLA appeals decided and not just appeals against the disallowance of a new claim. We are unable to provide specific information about customers who dispute the rejection of their claim because our management information systems do not enable us to track cases from new claim to appeal. 4. Appeals upheld are where the tribunal allowed the appeal, varied the award or increased the award. 5. Appeals rejected are where the tribunal disallowed the appeal, maintained the award or reduced the award. 6. Numbers rounded to the nearest 1,000.  Source:  Department for Work and Pensions-RDA60209 and RDA60205 reports-DLA Management Information Statistics

Disability Living Allowance: Bedford

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people normally resident in Bedford constituency were in receipt of  (a) disability living allowance and  (b) employment support allowance or incapacity benefit at the commencement of each financial year since 1997-98.

Maria Miller: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Disability living allowance-cases in payment caseload: parliamentary constituency of Bedford, May 1997 to May 2010 
			   Cases 
			 May 1997 2,300 
			 May 1998 2,400 
			 May1999 2,400 
			 May 2000 2,700 
			 May 2001 3,200 
			 May 2002 3,530 
			 May 2003 3,740 
			 May 2004 3,840 
			 May 2005 3,940 
			 May 2006 3,980 
			 May 2007 4,030 
			 May 2008 4,250 
			 May 2009 4,360 
			 May 2010 4,490 
			  Notes: 1. 5% sample figures are subject to sample variation and are rounded to the nearest 100, and 100% caseloads to the nearest 10. 2. 5% sample figures have been uprated using 5% proportions against 100% WPLS totals. 3. Constituencies used for May 2010 caseload data are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. Prior to this, previous boundaries are used. 4. Caseloads for DLA show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.  Source: 1997-2001 figures Information Directorate 5% samples. 2002 onwards DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data. 
		
	
	
		
			  Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants: parliamentary constituency of Bedford, May 1997-May 2010 
			   Claimants 
			 May 1997 3,700 
			 May 1998 3,500 
			 May 1999 3,500 
			 May 2000 3,810 
			 May 2001 3,870 
			 May 2002 3,850 
			 May 2003 3,940 
			 May 2004 4,080 
			 May 2005 4,250 
			 May 2006 4,150 
			 May 2007 4,110 
			 May 2008 4,130 
			 May 2009 3,700 
			 May 2010 3,370 
		
	
	
		
			  Employment support allowance claimants in Bedford parliamentary constituency 
			   Claimants 
			 May 2009 500 
			 May 2010 850 
			  Notes: 1. 5% sample figures are subject to sample variation and are rounded to the nearest 100, and 100% caseloads to the nearest 10. 2. 5% sample figures have been uprated using 5% proportions against 100% WPLS totals. 3. Constituencies used for May 2010 caseload data are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. Prior to this, previous boundaries are used. 4. Employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity or disability for new claims from 27 October 2008.  Source: 1997-1999 figures Information Directorate 5% samples 1999 onwards DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data

Disability Living Allowance: Industrial Diseases

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed industrial injuries disability benefit for osteoarthritis in  (a) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency,  (b) South Lanarkshire and (c) Scotland.

Maria Miller: Osteoarthritis of the knee in coal miners, and osteoarthritis of the hip in farmers are both included within the industrial injuries disablement benefit scheme.
	We do not have information on the numbers of claims for either disease at constituency level, but can provide the numbers of claims for osteoarthritis of the knee in coal miners for Scotland at March 2010. The number of claims made by farmers for osteoarthritis of the hip is not currently available.
	Since the addition of osteoarthritis of the knee to the list of prescribed industrial diseases on 13 July 2009, 3,720 miners claimed IIDB, with 1,090 miners receiving an award of, or an increase in, industrial injuries disablement benefit.

Disability Living Allowance: Mobility

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are receiving disability living allowance for an indefinite period for  (a) low-rate care,  (b) low-rate care and low-rate mobility,  (c) low-rate care and high-rate mobility,  (d) middle-rate care,  (e) middle-rate care and low-rate mobility,  (f) high-rate care,  (g) high-rate care and low-rate mobility and  (h) high-rate care and high-rate mobility.

Maria Miller: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  DLA in payment by care and mobility rate and award type-May 2010 
			   Type of award 
			  Rate/combination  Fixed  Indefinite 
			 All 917,800 2,239,500 
			 Higher Care and Higher Mobility 113,700 400,600 
			 Higher Care and Lower Mobility 98,900 77,000 
			 Higher Care only 30,200 12,900 
			 Middle Care and Higher Mobility 82,200 377,500 
			 Middle Care and Lower Mobility 225,200 250,800 
			 Middle Care only 72,300 41,400 
			 Lower Care and Higher Mobility 82,500 338,900 
			 Lower Care and Lower Mobility 68,900 137,900 
			 Lower Care only 69,300 180,300 
			 Higher Mobility only 46,800 346,300 
			 Lower Mobility only 27,800 75,800 
			  Notes: 1. DLA figures are from 5% sample data. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. The preferred statistics on benefits are now derived from 100% data sources. However, the 5% sample data still provide some detail not yet available from the 100% data sources, in particular, more complete information on the disabling condition of DLA claimants. DWP recommends that, where the detail is only available on the 5% sample data, or disabling condition (DLA) is required, the proportions derived should be scaled up to the overall 100% total for the benefit. This has been done here. 3. Caseload totals show the number of people in receipt of DLA , and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

Employment and Support Allowance

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether claimants on contributory employment and support allowance in the Work Related Activity Group whose household income exceeds the means-testing threshold will be expected fulfil conditionality after 12 months of being in the Group.

Chris Grayling: After 12 months of being on contributory ESA, provided the claimants household income still exceeds the means testing threshold, claimants would move to "credits only" status and would therefore not be expected to fulfil conditionality.

Employment: Deaths

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the potential effects of planned reductions to the budget of the Health and Safety Executive on the number of deaths occurring in the workplace.

Chris Grayling: No assessment is planned. There are additional factors which influence the number of fatalities in the workplace most notably the behaviour of employers and employees.

Housing Benefit

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made an assessment of the geographical distribution of households which will be affected by the cap on the level of household benefits.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available as sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results for areas smaller than the overall impacts for Great Britain.
	Analysis of the impact of the household cap on total benefit income was published in the Impact Assessment which accompanied the introduction of Welfare Reform Bill.

Housing Benefit

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) men and  (b) women were in receipt of (i) housing benefit, (ii) council tax benefit and (iii) attendance allowance on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: In response to part (i) and part (ii) the gender breakdown of those in receipt of housing benefit and council tax benefit are as follows:
	
		
			  Table 1: Housing benefit and council tax benefit recipients by gender, Great Britain (November 2010) 
			   Single male  Single female  All couples 
			 Housing benefit 1,369,060 2,436,560 982,710 
			 Council tax benefit 1,414,760 2,925,090 1,442,050 
			  Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. An extended payment is a payment that may be received for a further four weeks when they start working full time, work more hours or earn more money. 4. In November 2010, a small number of authorities reported a shift in the gender make up of the caseload. DWP are investigating this issue. However, the shift represents less than a 3% change. 5. In respect of claims from couples the gender variable happens to reflect the person who completed the form. So, including these would be misleading therefore we have not shown the gender split for couples. 7. Data does not include cases where gender is unknown or missing.  Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE) 
		
	
	In response to part (iii) the gender breakdown of those in receipt of attendance allowance are as follows:
	
		
			  Table 2: Attendance allowance recipients by gender, Great Britain (May 2010) 
			   All male  All female 
			 Attendance allowance 531,470 1,082,800 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10, totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS)

Housing Benefit: Income

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the likely change in weekly income for a family with  (a) three,  (b) four,  (c) five,  (d) six,  (e) seven and  (f) eight children affected by the proposed cap on the level of household benefits.

Chris Grayling: If the benefit cap were applied in full, based on modelling using the Department for Work and Pension's Policy Simulation Model, it is estimated that households whose benefit is reduced as a result of the cap on total benefit income will lose on average around £93 per week.
	We are looking at ways of easing the transition for families and providing assistance in hard cases.
	Analysis of those affected by the benefit cap has been modelled using survey data-as such there is a degree of uncertainty around the results. Consequently, owing to small sample sizes, it is not possible to present the distribution of losses for sub groups of the overall population of households affected by the cap.
	Analysis of the impact of the household cap on total benefit income was published in the Impact Assessment which accompanied the introduction of Welfare Reform Bill. The equality impact assessment has also been published on the Department for Work and Pension's website.

Income: Universal Credit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the protection to be given to households whose incomes will be uprated by the consumer prices index as a result of the introduction of universal credit.

Chris Grayling: I have interpreted the question as asking whether it is the intention to uprate any cash protection offered to claimants whose incomes fall as a result of the transition of universal credit.
	We have given a commitment that no-one will experience a reduction in the amount of benefit they receive as a direct result of the introduction of universal credit.
	In most cases, we expect that universal credit will provide a level of support that is the same as, or higher than, the current system. Transitional protection will be awarded if the entitlement is lower and the circumstances have not changed.
	The current expectation is that any additional benefit awarded in this way will not be uprated.

Jobcentre Plus: Incapacity Benefits

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what private sector organisations he plans to engage to assist Jobcentre Plus with the incapacity benefit reassessment programme; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such engagement.

Chris Grayling: No new commercial partners have been engaged to assist Jobcentre Plus with the reassessment of incapacity benefits. The following private sector organisations, engaged through existing commercial arrangements, have or will be providing services to support IB reassessment: HPES, Accenture, BT, ATOS, Gartner, DLA Piper, Cap Gemini and Capita. These organisations provide a wide range of services to the Department, such as the development and support of IT and the provision of medical services for the delivery of work capability assessments.
	As no new commercial partners are being engaged, there are no direct procurement costs. The overall investment cost across the full range of services (planned and incurred) for these private sector partners is £159 million from April 2008 to March 2014.

Motability: Bedford

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Bedford constituency claimed the mobility component of disability living allowance at  (a) the higher rate,  (b) the lower rate and  (c) in total in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: The information is included in the following table.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance recipients with mobility component in Bedford parliamentary constituency-May 2010 
			   Total  Higher rate  Lower rate 
			 DLA recipients with mobility component 4,490 2,150 1,620 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and excludes people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. Figures exclude those with a nil mobility component rate. 3. Parliamentary constituency of claimant (Westminster) These constituencies are used for the Westminster parliament 2010. 4. These figures are published at: http://83.244.183.180/100pc/tabtool.html  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 100% WPLS

Pensions

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) women and  (b) men are in receipt of (i) the basic state pension, (ii) pension credit and (iii) the additional state pension.

Steve Webb: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Men and women in receipt of basic state pension, additional state pension and pension credit (Great Britain, latest data) 
			   Men  Women  Total 
			 Basic state pension 4,259,000 7,009,400 11,268,400 
			 Additional state pension 4,221,400 6,314,900 10,536,300 
			 Pension credit 1,070,230 1,663,930 2,734,170 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are for recipients in Great Britain only. 2. Figures for basic state pension and additional state pension are for March 2010; figures for pension credit are for May 2010. 3. Figures for basic state pension and additional state pension are rounded to the nearest 100 individuals; figures for pension credit are rounded to the nearest 10 individuals. Differences in rounding reflect different data sources. Figures may not sum due to rounding. 4. Additional state pension includes entitlement built up under the Graduated Retirement Benefit scheme, the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme, and the State Second Pension scheme. 5. Pension credit figures refer to household recipients. Pension credit household recipients are those people who receive pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. 6. All of the figures in the table are available on the DWP website at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool and http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2011/average_grb_serps_s2p.pdf  Source: DWP, Information Directorate, 5% sample administrative data and Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Personal Independence Payments

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has in respect of the level of understanding of  (a) severe learning disabilities and  (b) autism spectrum disorder to be required of staff engaged in the training and assessment procedures for personal independence payments.

Maria Miller: We are considering the most appropriate delivery model for the personal independence payment assessment. Appropriate training and guidance for both decision makers and assessors will be an integral element. This is relevant for severe learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorders as well as other health conditions and impairments, to ensure that the new assessment accurately and consistently enables support to be targeted to those with the greatest need. Both I and departmental officials have met with a number of disability organisations representing learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorders, to discuss our reform proposals and to seek their views on how the new benefit can best support those with autism and severe learning disabilities. We are keen to continue to work with disabled people and their organisations to ensure that the training and guidance is right.

Social Security Benefits

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of monetary value of unclaimed benefits in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much was unclaimed for each benefit and allowance type.

Chris Grayling: For the six income-related benefits for which estimates are available there was between £6,930 million and £12,700 million left unclaimed in 2008-09; this compared to £38,110 million that was claimed and represents take-up by expenditure of between about 75% and 85%. The information by benefit is in the following table.
	
		
			   Unclaimed benefit (£ million) 
			  Benefit  Lower  Upper 
			 Income support/employment and support allowance 590 1,630 
			 Pension credit 1,630 2,930 
			 Housing benefit 1,780 3,410 
			 Council tax benefit 1,490 2,150 
			 Jobseeker's allowance (income based) 1,450 2,580 
			  Source: Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2008-09

Social Security Benefits: Overpayments

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the expected level of benefit overpayments in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Chris Grayling: The Department publishes estimates of fraud and error in the benefit system twice yearly as National Statistics. The latest estimates relate to the period from October 2008 to September 2009 and can be found at:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd2/index.php?page=fraud_error_arc
	The Department does not produce formal projections for the amount it expects to lose in future years as a result of fraud and error. However, the Department, together with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, has estimated that through the implementation of their joint fraud and error strategy the level of fraud and error in the benefit and tax credit systems will reduce by 25% (£1.4 billion) by the end of the comprehensive spending review period.

State Retirement Pensions: Age

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has any plans to provide support for those affected by the proposed increase in the state pension age for women born between 1953 and 1959.

Steve Webb: Our changes to the State Pension age will ensure the system is sustainable in the long term.
	We are taking steps to ensure those who want to continue to work can do so and are able to save for retirement. For those not be able to continue we will provide support with working age benefits.
	We have also announced plans for radical reform of the welfare system which will provide better tailored employment help to customers, including our older customers, and which will ensure that work always pays and is seen to pay.

Universal Credit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the effects of the introduction of universal credit on the income of couple households of one full-time worker and two children and household earnings between £8,000 and £32,000 per year in the first four years of its introduction.

Chris Grayling: After the introduction of the universal credit there will be a number of years of transition as existing cases migrate to the new system. It is not possible to produce estimates on a year-by-year basis during this transition period.
	The introduction of universal credit will enable the Government to increase and better target the support that is provided through the benefit system in order to ensure that work always pays and the most vulnerable are protected. Increased support will come from greater generosity for in-work households with low earnings and more consistent support as households increase their earnings.
	Transitional protection will ensure that there are no cash losers at the point of transition as a result changes in the way benefit is calculated.
	More details on levels of support in Great Britain under universal credit are contained in the impact assessment published on 16 February.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assumptions his Department made on the  (a) employment rate,  (b) number of vacancies and  (c) claimant count in carrying out the impact assessment for universal credit in each year to 2015.

Chris Grayling: There are no explicit assumptions made about the employment rate, number of vacancies and claimant count in carrying out the impact assessment for universal credit. Estimates carried out in the impact assessment for universal credit have been derived using the Department's Policy Simulation Model (PSM).
	The PSM is a static micro simulation model of the GB tax and benefit system based on data from the Family Resources Survey (latest available year 2008-09). The PSM takes the FRS survey data and uprates it to the year of analysis (in this case 2014-15)-taking account of projected changes in benefit rates, earnings, other incomes and demographic change.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to table 2 of his Department's impact assessment on universal credit, how many households in receipt of the lower entitlement will be affected in each £10,000 income band.

Chris Grayling: The information is as follows:
	1. Transitional protection will ensure that there are no cash losers from Universal Credit at the point of introduction. The following table shows the estimated number of households whose entitlement to universal credit would be higher or lower than current benefits/ tax credits in £10,000 income bands.
	
		
			  Estimated number and proportion of households whose entitlement to universal credit would be higher or lower than current benefits/tax credits in £10,000 income bands 
			  Million 
			  Annual income bands( 1)  Lower entitlements  Higher entitlements 
			 £0-£10,000 0.2 0.5 
			 £10,000-£20,000 0.7 0.8 
			 £20,000-£30,000 0.5 1.1 
			 £30,000-£40,000 0.2 0.3 
			 £40,000 and over 0.1 (2)- 
			 Total 1.7 2.7 
			 (1) Based on net benefit unit income. (2) Rounds to less then 50,000. 
		
	
	2. The changes in entitlement have been modelled using the Department's Policy Simulation Model (PSM) based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS); the latest FRS data available are for 2008-09.
	3. Analysis is presented based on a projection of the FRS 2008-09 to 2014-15-incorporating forecast demographic change, announced policy changes and uprating.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of people who will receive lower household entitlement under universal credit than under their benefit entitlements in 2010 in the first year of operation of universal credit.

Chris Grayling: After the introduction of universal credit there will be a number of years of transition as existing cases migrate to the new system. The precise migration process has still to be determined, and it is not possible to produce estimates on a year-by-year basis during this transition period.
	We estimate that in the steady state-once all existing claimants have been migrated to universal credit-some 2.7 million households will have higher entitlements than they would have done under the current system, while 1.7 million will notionally have a lower entitlement than under the current system.
	Transitional protection will ensure that there are no cash losers from universal credit. At the point of transition, households who experience a notional reduction in their entitlement will receive full cash protection against this change.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of people who will enter work solely as a result of the introduction of universal credit.

Chris Grayling: This information is not available. The universal credit reforms outlined the White Paper "Universal Credit: Welfare that works" set out changes in the benefit structure but also set out a strengthened conditionality and sanctions regime. Taken together we estimate that the reforms could reduce the number of workless households by around 300,000.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to paragraph 51 of his Department's impact assessment on universal credit, which benefits will be subject to automatic passporting.

Chris Grayling: Universal credit will streamline a number of existing benefits (income support, jobseeker's allowance (income-based), employment support allowance (income-related) housing benefit) and tax credits into one unified payment. Therefore, when an individual claims one aspect of universal credit (ie income replacement aspect), they will automatically receive amounts associated with their children and their housing costs. As a result, there will be an 'automatic passporting' effect for people who currently claim some, but not all, of the benefits or tax credits to which they are entitled.

Universal Credit: Children

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assumptions underlie his estimate that  (a) 950,000 individuals and  (b) 350,000 children will be lifted out of poverty through the introduction of universal credit.

Chris Grayling: Estimates of the reduction in poverty have been derived using the Department's Policy Simulation Model (PSM). The PSM is a static micro simulation model of the GB tax and benefit system based on data from the Family Resources Survey (latest available year 2008-09).
	The PSM takes the FRS survey data and uprates it to the year of analysis (in this case 2014-15)-taking account of projected changes in benefit rates, earnings, other incomes and demographic change. It models the rules of the tax and benefit system and applies these to the data allowing us to calculate net incomes for each member of the sample. We are able to model a change in the tax and benefit rules and estimate the subsequent impact on household incomes and numbers in poverty.
	The universal credit reform has been modelled in the PSM and takes account of the increase in take up which we expect to occur as a result of moving to a simpler, consolidated benefit. Numbers in poverty are compared under the tax and benefit system both with and without the universal credit. Poverty was estimated for children and working age adults on a before housing costs basis consistent with the definitions used in the Households Below Average Income Publication.

Universal Credit: Glasgow

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the number of persons who will be subject to the higher withdrawal rates of universal credit in  (a) Glasgow North East constituency,  (b) Glasgow,  (c) Scotland and  (d) the UK in each of the four years following its introduction.

Chris Grayling: After the introduction of the universal credit there will be a number of years of transition as existing cases migrate to the new system and it is not possible to produce estimates during this transition period.
	The financial reward for low earners seeking to increase their earnings would be improved through the introduction of a single taper rate of about 65%. We expect the highest marginal deduction rate, including tax and national insurance contributions, for low-earning workers will be reduced from around 96% to around 76%.
	More details on marginal deduction rates for Great Britain under universal credit are contained in the Impact Assessment published on 16 February 2011.

Universal Credit: Glasgow

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the net change in the incomes of couple households of one full-time worker and two children in  (a) Glasgow North East constituency,  (b) Glasgow,  (c) Scotland and  (d) the UK attributable to the introduction of universal credit in each of the next four financial years.

Chris Grayling: After the introduction of the universal credit there will be a number of years of transition as existing cases migrate to the new system. It is not possible to produce estimates on a year-by-year basis during this transition period.
	The introduction of universal credit will enable the Government to increase and better target the support that is provided through the benefit system in order to ensure that work always pays and the most vulnerable are protected. Increased support will come from greater generosity for in-work households with low earnings and more consistent support as households increase their earnings. Transitional protection will ensure that there are no cash losers at the point of transition as a result changes in the way benefit is calculated.
	More details on levels of support in Great Britain under universal credit are contained in the Impact Assessment published on 16 February 2011.

Universal Credit: Glasgow

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of  (a) households and  (b) individuals in (i) Glasgow North East constituency, (ii) Glasgow, (iii) Scotland and (iv) the UK who will be ineligible for universal credit because they have savings of over £16,000 in each of the four years following its introduction.

Chris Grayling: After the introduction of the universal credit there will be a number of years of transition as existing cases migrate to the new system. It is not possible to produce estimates on a year-by-year basis during this transition period.
	Transitional protection will ensure that there are no cash losers at the point of transition as a result changes in the way benefit is calculated.
	Under universal credit an assumed income will be taken into account where a single claimant or couple has capital of between £6,000 and £16,000. In addition there will be no entitlement to universal credit where a single claimant or couple has capital of over £16,000. This is exactly the same as now for income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance income-related employment and support allowance and housing benefit but is different from the current position in tax credits.

Universal Credit: Glasgow

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of  (a) households and  (b) individuals in (i) Glasgow North East constituency, (ii) Glasgow, (iii) Scotland and (iv) the UK with savings of between £6,000 and £16,000 who will have reduced eligibility for universal credit in each of the four years following its introduction.

Chris Grayling: After the introduction of the universal credit there will be a number of years of transition as existing cases migrate to the new system. It is not possible to produce estimates on a year-by-year basis during this transition period.
	Transitional protection will ensure that there are no cash losers at the point of transition as a result of changes in the way benefit is calculated.
	Under universal credit an assumed income will be taken into account where a single claimant or couple has capital of between £6,000 and £16,000. This is exactly the same as now for income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance income-related employment and support allowance and housing benefit but is different from the current position in tax credits.

Universal Credit: Glasgow

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the average change in income of  (a) households and  (b) individuals in (i) Glasgow North East constituency, (ii) Glasgow, (iii) Scotland and (iv) the UK with savings of between £6,000 and £16,000 as a result of reduced eligibility for universal credit in each of the four years following its introduction.

Chris Grayling: After the introduction of the universal credit there will be a number of years of transition as existing cases migrate to the new system. It is not possible to produce estimates on a year-by-year basis during this transition period.
	Transitional protection will ensure that there are no cash losers at the point of transition as a result of changes in the way benefit is calculated.
	Under universal credit an assumed income will be taken into account where a single claimant or couple has capital of between £6,000 and £16,000. This is exactly the same as now for income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance income-related employment and support allowance and housing benefit but is different from the current position in tax credits.

Universal Credit: Glasgow

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effects of the introduction of universal credit on the amount retained from each additional pound earned in couple households of one full-time worker and two children with household earnings between £8,000 and £32,000 per year in the first four years of its introduction.

Chris Grayling: After the introduction of the universal credit there will be a number of years of transition as existing cases migrate to the new system and it is not possible to produce estimates during this transition period.
	The financial reward for low earners seeking to increase their earnings would be improved through the introduction of a single taper rate of about 65%. We expect the highest marginal deduction rate, including tax and national insurance contributions, for low-earning workers will be reduced from around 96% to around 76%.
	More details on marginal deduction rates for Great Britain under universal credit are contained in the impact assessment published on 16 February.

Universal Credit: Glasgow

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the effect on average income of  (a) households and  (b) individuals in (i) Glasgow North East constituency, (ii) Glasgow, (iii) Scotland and (iv) the UK with savings of over £16,000 of ineligibility for universal credit in each of the four years following its introduction.

Chris Grayling: After the introduction of the universal credit there will be a number of years of transition as existing cases migrate to the new system. It is not possible to produce estimates on a year-by-year basis during this transition period.
	Transitional protection will ensure that there are no cash losers at the point of transition as a result changes in the way benefit is calculated.
	Under universal credit an assumed income will be taken into account where a single claimant or couple has capital of between £6,000 and £16,000. In addition there will be no entitlement to universal credit where a single claimant or couple has capital of over £16,000. This is exactly the same as now for income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance income-related employment and support allowance and housing benefit but is different from the current position in tax credits.

Universal Credit: Public Expenditure

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of protection for benefit recipients in each year of the transition to universal credit.

Chris Grayling: The Government have made a commitment that there will be no cash losers purely as a result of the move to universal credit. At the point of change a comparison will be made between current amount received in tax credits and/or benefits and the household entitlement under universal credit. If the universal credit entitlement is less, and no other circumstances have changed, a cash amount will be paid in order to make up the difference.
	This money is included within the universal credit spending envelope. Estimates on a year-by-year basis during the transition period are not available.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Boilers

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the outcome of the boiler scrappage scheme.

Gregory Barker: The formal evaluation of the Boiler Scrappage Scheme has recently been completed and a draft of the findings has been sent to the Department. We. will publish the final evaluation report shortly.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on  (a) salaries and  (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has spent  (a) £173,862.30 on salaries (including severance payments), and  (b) £27,411.96 on pension entitlements for special advisers in this financial year to February 2011.

Departmental Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which public bodies sponsored by his Department  (a) have been and  (b) are to be closed, merged or reorganised following his appointment; and how many (i) women and (ii) men who are public appointees at each body will no longer hold such an appointment in consequence.

Gregory Barker: The following public bodies have been closed since May 2010: the UK Chemical Weapons Convention National Authority Advisory Committee (NAAC), the Renewables Advisory Board (RAB), and the Advisory Committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies (ACCAT). No further changes have been proposed at this time. There were seven public appointees at NAAC of whom one was female; 18 at RAB of whom two were female; and 15 at ACCAT of whom two were female.

Departmental Regulation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on how many occasions his Department has consulted representatives of small businesses on the effects of proposed new regulations since 6 May 2010.

Gregory Barker: Since 6 May 2010 we have formally consulted on 39 regulatory proposals. As part of our consultation process we invite small businesses and their representatives to participate whenever they may have an interest.
	However, ongoing dialogue has become an important part of the policymaking process in DECC and engagement with small businesses is not limited to these formal consultations. Since 6 May 2010 the Department has run a number of events in which small businesses have been involved, including workshops, meetings and discussion forums.

Electricity Supply

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will amend the draft National Policy Statement on Electricity Networks Infrastructure in the light of the recent research on bird strikes on overhead electricity lines.

Charles Hendry: A section on bird strike on overhead lines was added to the National Policy Statement for Electricity Networks Infrastructure (EN-5) before the consultation on the revised NPSs last year as a result of work done on the Appraisal of Sustainability for the Energy NPSs. We are not aware of any recent research on bird strikes that would warrant a further change to EN-5 and we did not receive any requests to consider any research during the consultation, which closed on 24 January 2011.

Energy: EU Action

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of implementing the measures on the Energy 2020 Strategy adopted by the Energy Council on 28 February 2011.

Gregory Barker: The Energy Strategy 2020 sets out the broad direction of EU energy policy over the next decade. Now that the strategy has been adopted, the Commission will develop specific legislative initiatives and proposals over the next 18 months. As these proposals are formulated we will undertake rigorous cost/benefit analyses to ensure that the proposals represent value for money in meeting our energy and climate objectives.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the efforts of the interaction between the EU Emissions Trading scheme and the proposed Emissions Performance Standard.

Gregory Barker: The Electricity Market Reform consultation contained proposals to introduce an EPS as a preventative measure, targeted at preventing the construction and operation of new, unabated coal-fired power stations. The Government assessment of the current evidence is that this form of EPS would have minimal interactions with the EU Emissions Trading System.

Solar Power

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects of his announcement on 7 February 2011 on the number of companies participating in the solar photovoltaics market; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: We continue to have constant dialogue with representatives within the industry and are aware of their views. Assessment of the impact of any proposed changes to Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) will be published as part of the review.
	The consultation on the fast-track review will be launched soon.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2011,  Official Report, column 241W, on solar power: feed-in tariffs, how many megawatts of solar photovoltaic generating capacity currently registered for feed-in tariff payments  (a) were installed between July 2009 and April 2010 and  (b) are historic transfers from the renewables obligation.

Gregory Barker: Data received from Ofgem on FITs uptake for the period 1 April-30 December 2010 was used by the Department for the publication of Energy Statistics table ET 5.6, on 27 January 2011:
	http://decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/source/electricity/electricity.aspx
	Data consistent with this table showed that of the 45MW installed solar PV capacity (17,200 installations), 5.3MW (2,262 installations) were installed between 15 July 2010 and the 31 March 2010, and 6.8MW (2,556 installations) transferred from the renewables obligation (RO).

EDUCATION

Academies and Free Schools

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much and what proportion of formula grant provided for each local authority is to be top sliced to cover expenditure on Academies and Free Schools in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13.

Nick Gibb: The adjustments to the formula grant for each local authority, in respect of expenditure on academies and free schools, are available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/1011adjustedss.xls
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/1112adjustedss.xls
	These adjustments were based on national averages and estimates, applied equally to all local authorities. The deductions do not affect the schools budget in each authority, which is funded through the Dedicated Schools Grant direct from the Department, rather than through formula grant.

Academies and Free Schools

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what methodology is used to calculate the amount of formula grant to be top-sliced from local authorities to cover expenditure on Academies and Free Schools.

Nick Gibb: Calculations were based on the amounts of local authority central services equivalent grant (LACSEG), which are currently paid to academies that have converted from a maintained school. There are two elements to the grant: the proportion which the Department funds from the Dedicated Schools Grant that would otherwise go to local authority schools budgets, and the proportion that the Department funds from other sources, because it is in respect of services normally paid from other local authority funds. For the latter, on the basis of local authorities' financial statements provided to the Department under section 251 of the Apprenticeships Schools Children and Learning Act 2009, we estimated an average amount per pupil across all local authorities, and applied that to estimates of the number of pupils in new academies and free schools opening over the next two years. The resultant amounts were then reduced by the Department for Communities and Local Government to reflect overall reductions in local authorities' formula grant. The top slice totals are £148 million in 2011-12 and £265 million in 2012-13, and these are the amounts to be transferred to the Department to contribute to LACSEG costs.

Apprentices

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the potential effects in the quality of apprenticeship places of reductions in his Department's contribution to funding rate for apprenticeships.

John Hayes: holding answer 10 February 2011
	In December 2010 the Young People's Learning Agency announced that the national funding rate for apprenticeships funded by the Department for Education would be reduced by 2% per year from 2011/12. This reflects the Government's commitment to ending the disparity in funding schools, colleges and work-based learning providers to deliver provision for 16-19 year olds and to reflect the better efficiency of the sector in delivering apprenticeships.
	Quality in apprenticeships is assured through the "Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England" which we published in January and will come into force in April this year. This sets out the minimum core content that can be expected in an apprenticeship. The Government are committed to not merely maintaining, but improving the quality of apprenticeships and to this end the National Apprenticeship Service has endorsed the publication and dissemination by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service of a diagnostic toolkit to help employers and training providers supply high quality training places.
	The 2% reduction in the apprenticeship funding rate represents an equitable contribution to the savings required across the 16-19 education system. I am confident that the Government's priority for expanding and improving the quality of the Apprenticeship programme can be delivered whilst making these savings. As we grow the number of apprenticeships, the cost of delivery for providers will be reduced through economies of scale and where learners complete their training more quickly with no loss of quality, appropriate reductions in payment will be made.

Book Trust: Finance

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which bodies he consulted before deciding to end funding for Booktrust.

Sarah Teather: The future funding for the programme which contributes to Booktrust was considered as part of the overall spending review. This looked at where the Government could secure best value for public funds in a tight fiscal climate. During the process and as part of routine grant management arrangements, officials met Booktrust several times to discuss options for the future shape of the scheme. There has been no separate consultation with others. On 25 February 2011 we announced that a new book gifting scheme would be delivered in 2011-13. Booktrust will receive £7.5 million for its delivery in 2011-12 and £6 million for its delivery in 2012-13.

Boxing

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of schools in each local authority area offer boxing as part of the sports curriculum.

Tim Loughton: The Department's PE and Sport Survey 2009/10, published in September 2010, reports that 10% of schools in England provided boxing in 2009/10. This information is not available at local authority level.

Bullying: Personal Income

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the effects of income inequality on levels of childhood bullying.

Nick Gibb: The Department has not carried out any assessment of the inequalities of income for those who were bullied in their childhood, however we do know from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England, which was published in 2008, that bullying impacts on the lives of victims both in terms of future levels of attainment and other outcomes.
	Analysis of this study showed that pupils aged 16 who reported having been bullied in the previous three years were twice as likely not to be in employment, education or training compared to those who had not been bullied. The study demonstrated that those pupils who reported being bullied in the last three years did substantially worse in their GCSEs than those who reported no bullying. 52% of those who said they had been bullied in the last three years achieved 5 A*-C grades in their GCSEs in 2006, compared with 67% of respondents who said that they had not been bullied in the last three years.
	It also showed that pupils who receive free school meals are slightly more likely to report being victims of bullying than those who do not.

CAFCASS

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  whether Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service employees can participate in the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service professional Google group forum;
	(2)  how much was spent by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service on agency social work staff in 2009-10;
	(3)  how much was spent by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service on engaging self-employed children's guardians in 2009-10;
	(4)  what the retention rate was of  (a) employees and  (b) self-employed children's guardians by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2009-10;
	(5)  how much the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service spent on  (a) self-employed children's guardians and  (b) hiring agency staff in each of the last two financial years.

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse was of the regional structure of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in 2009-10;
	(2)  what the percentage change was in costs to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service of hiring agency staff  (a) between 2007-08 and 2008-09 and  (b) between 2008-09 and 2009-10;
	(3)  what account Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service managers take of  (a) children's needs and  (b) practitioners' skills when allocating cases to practitioners;
	(4)  whether the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has negotiated a workload agreement with relevant trade unions;
	(5)  what assessment he has made of the suitability of the use of e-mail by Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service managers to allocate cases to practitioners.

Tim Loughton: These questions relate to operational matters for which CAFCASS is responsible. I have asked CAFCASS's chief executive, Anthony Douglas, to write to the hon. Gentleman to address the issues raised. A copy of his letters will be placed in the House Library.

Children: Obesity

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the relationship between childhood obesity levels and participation in sport; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 30 November 201 0
	Childhood obesity levels have fallen from 16.9% in 2003, to 16% in 2008. This small, although very welcome, fall in childhood obesity levels will be the result of many complex factors, one of which may be participation in school sport over the period.

Children: Protection

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate the scoping review to draw together data on child injury and safeguarding and to compare the position in England with that in other countries undertaken by the Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre with funding from his Department made of the number of children in the UK who died as a result of abuse or neglect between 2005 and 2007.

Tim Loughton: The child death rate due to negligence, maltreatment or physical assault is provided in table 5.4 of the report (page 50). The UK rate was 0.24 per 100,000 children. This was the lowest within the sample of countries but caution is needed in interpreting the data because in the UK there are a number of deaths registered each year where the cause of death is undetermined or yet to be determined; these may at a later date be reclassified as having been caused by negligence, maltreatment or physical assault. The USA had the highest rate at 3.67.
	The full report is available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR083.pdf

Children's Centres

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many Sure Start children's centres he expects to be open in 2014-15; what proportion of these he expects of offer a full service; and if he will take steps to ensure the network of Sure Start children's centres is maintained.

Sarah Teather: Sure Start children's centres are a clear priority for Government-they play a really important role in supporting families with young children and intervening early to prevent problems from becoming crises. The Government have ensured there is enough money in the system to maintain a network of Sure Start children's centres accessible to all but targeting the families in greatest need.
	It is for local authorities, in consultation with local communities to determine the most effective way of delivering future services to meet local need. They have a duty to consult before opening, closing or significantly changing children's centres and to secure sufficient centre provision to meet local need so far as is reasonably practical.

Children's Centres: Finance

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how much funding he plans to provide to Sure Start centres in  (a) Birmingham, Ladywood constituency,  (b) Birmingham and  (c) England in each of the next five years;
	(2)  whether his Department has withdrawn any previously allocated Sure Start funding in  (a) Birmingham, Ladywood constituency,  (b) Birmingham and  (c) England for (i) 2010-11 and (ii) the next four financial years.

Sarah Teather: The Early Intervention Grant is a new un-ring-fenced and un-hypothecated funding stream which from 1 April 2011 will give local authorities greater flexibility to target resources strategically and intervene early to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. The Government have ensured there is enough money within the Early Intervention Grant to maintain a network of Sure Start Children's Centres, accessible to all but identifying and supporting families in greatest need. To date only the EIG funding for the financial years 2011-12 and 2012-13 has been announced and is only available by local authority-the figures for Birmingham city council and all other local authorities in England are available at:
	http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/xls/e/early%20intervention%20grant%20-%20final%20allocations%20methodology.xls
	Up to the end of the 2010-11 financial year funding for Sure Start Children's Centres has been made through the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant (SSEYCG). The base allocations for Sure Start Children's Centres for the financial year 2010-11 remain as announced at the start of the 2008-11 comprehensive spending review period. For Birmingham and England those figures are as follows:
	
		
			   Birmingham  England 
			 2010-11 Revenue Allocation-Children's Centres and SSLPs 37,992,065 1,135,147,893 
			 2010-11 Capital Allocation-Children's Centres 1,574,086 100,999,997 
		
	
	The Department does not allocate funding at constituency level. It is for local authorities to determine how best to allocate available funding within their areas. The allocations for all local authorities can be found on the Department's website at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/earlylearningandchildcare/a0071955/sure-start-earlv-years-and-childcare-grant-and~aiming-high-for-disabled-children-ahdc-grant-la-funding-allocations-for-2010-11
	Published allocations for Sure Start Children's Centres are not individually ring-fenced within the main revenue block of the SSEYCG and therefore are notional. Local authorities have the freedom to spend the available funding flexibly within that block to best meet local objectives and priorities, subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Memorandum of Grant letter.
	In addition to the capital base allocation the Department had been able to offer some carry-forward of unspent SSEYCG capital funding from prior years. Given the unprecedented fiscal deficit the Department restricted carry-forward of SSEYCG capital (which includes Sure Start Children's Centres) to cases where funding was required for the completion of the children's centres programme, or where there was evidence of a contractual commitment either with a building contractor or for goods.
	The Department's calculations of carry-forward are predicated on levels of expenditure from prior years. We are awaiting audited financial returns from a number of local authorities, at which point carry-forward for all local authorities will be finalised.
	in 2010 the coalition Government announced the cessation of the Buddying and 0-7 Partnership Pilot programmes. The two programmes were paid under the umbrella of the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant. Details of the original and revised 2010-10 allocations for Birmingham and England are as follows:
	
		
			   Birmingham  England 
			 Original 2010-11.Buddying Allocation 379,916 4,901,002 
			 Revised 2010-11 Buddying Allocation 94,979 1,225,252 
			 Original 0-7 Partnership Pilot Allocation 0 3,396,915 
			 Revised 0-7 Partnership Pilot Allocation 0 849,230

Children: Deaths

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children's deaths were recorded in an Ofsted significant incident report as resulting from suspected  (a) abuse and  (b) neglect in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010.

Tim Loughton: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 7 March 2011:
	Ofsted does not hold 'significant incident reports'. However, Ofsted receives serious incident notifications from local authorities.
	Data on the number of children's deaths owing to 'abuse' or 'neglect' in serious incident notifications for the period requested are not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. It is rarely clear at the point of notification of a serious incident whether that incident is attributable to either neglect or abuse.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Tim Loughton MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Class Sizes

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has assessed any relationship between levels of student educational attainment and class sizes  (a) below 30 and  (b) of 30 and above in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools.

Tim Loughton: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has not assessed any relationship between levels of student educational attainment and class sizes  (a) below 30 and  (b) of 30 and above in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools.

Day Care: Disabled

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether disabled children will be classified as disadvantaged for the purposes of allocating free childcare for two-year-olds.

Sarah Teather: On 4 March, the Minister for Schools wrote to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the Education Bill 2010-11 and set out in a policy statement the Government's latest thinking on the eligibility criteria for free early education places for two-year-olds. This confirmed our intention to use an economic indicator, such as eligibility for free school meals. We are committed to consulting fully on the eligibility criteria for two-year-old places and will do so in due course. The consultation will also consider whether and how local authorities could be provided discretion to fund places beyond nationally defined eligibility criteria.

Departmental Communication

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what measures he has undertaken to reduce jargon and promote plain English in departmental communications.

Tim Loughton: We know that communicating clearly is essential to good government. We have always worked hard to try to remove jargon and we continue to make sure that staff at all levels treat this as an important issue. Consequently we provide regular training.
	For example, to promote plain English in departmental communications, we have produced a "Style Guide"-an internal tool containing advice on using plain English, writing for the web and A-Z of house style. We also regularly run writing workshops for our staff that focus on writing in plain English, making sure communications are tailored to the audience and are written in an appropriate tone of voice. This is an ongoing programme of work.
	Our internal communications to staff are jargon-free, to help promote good practice. We have also featured a series of articles in our staff magazine on the importance of good writing skills and some tips on how to keep communications free from jargon and written in plain English. Each item of correspondence from young people 18 or under receives a reply from a Minister and we ensure that each reply is suitably tailored to suit the recipient's understanding.
	To support the Department's work on reducing bureaucracy, we are also developing a programme to improve the quality, format, and clarity of our communications to schools and other frontline groups. This includes improvements to statutory guidance, consultations, and online content. We also regularly test the content and tone of communications with groups of frontline staff before they are issued, so that we know that they make sense to heads, teachers and others.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on furniture since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education has incurred expenditure of £672,142.37 on furniture since May 2010. Of the expenditure incurred, £660,299.37 related to an inherited commitment from the previous administration for furniture procured prior to May 2010 for the Department's new accommodation in Sheffield. The remaining £11,843 was spent on general furniture replacement across the Department's estate.
	A further £6,892.08 was spent on furniture supplied to staff for reasonable adjustments as required by DDA legislation.

Departmental Telephone Services

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reason his Department did not invite the Grandparents' Association to submit a bid for its proposed advice line.

Sarah Teather: The Department is currently running a procurement process to award contracts to organisations to deliver online and telephone family support services over 2011-13.
	The process is fully in line with best practice set by the EU procurement Directives and Government procurement rules.
	This is a two stage process and only organisations whose first stage assessment score reached 60% or more of the total score were invited to submit full bids. The assessment of the Grandparents Association pre-qualification questionnaire did not reach the required threshold. I cannot comment further on the bid while we are still in a procurement process since it could affect the Department's commercial position.
	We will be writing to the right hon. member separately about this procurement.

Early Intervention Grant: Finance

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Think Family scheme in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(2)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for Connexions in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(3)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Disabled Children Short Breaks scheme in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(4)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Two Year Old Offer in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(5)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Early Years Workforce scheme in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(6)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for Early Years Sustainability in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(7)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for Sure Start Children's Centres in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(8)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Child Trust Fund scheme in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(9)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the January Guarantee scheme in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(10)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Intensive Intervention Grant in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(11)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Children's Social Care Workforce in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(12)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for ContactPoint in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(13)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Targeted Mental Health in Schools Grant in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(14)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for Key Stage 4 Foundation Learning in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(15)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Teenage Pregnancy scheme in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(16)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Young People Substance Misuse scheme in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(17)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Children's Fund in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(18)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Youth Taskforce in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(19)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Positive Activities for Young People Programme in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(20)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Challenge and Support scheme in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(21)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Youth Crime Action Plan in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;
	(22)  what funding his Department plans to provide for the Early Intervention Grant for the Youth Opportunity Fund in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13;

Sarah Teather: All of the funding streams specified above will have ended by the end of March 2011 and are replaced by the Early Intervention Grant. The Early Intervention Grant is a new un-ring-fenced and un-hypothecated funding stream that gives local authorities greater flexibility to target resources strategically and intervene early to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. This is a major reform and gives local authorities greater freedom to respond to local needs and target resources where they will have the greatest impact. The overall Early Intervention Grant is £2,222 million in 2011-12 and £2,307 million in 2012-13.
	Against the background of greater flexibility to decide priorities locally, there are key areas of early intervention where the Government are ensuring that the overall grant provides support:
	Sure Start Children's Centres-Funding for Sure Start Children's Centres in 2010-11 was £1.1 billion. We have ensured there is sufficient money in the Early Intervention Grant to retain a network of Sure Start Children's Centres, accessible to all but identifying and supporting families in greatest need.
	Short Breaks for Disabled Children: the Department will be providing £198 million/£202 million/£206 million/£210 million over the next four years.
	Early Education Places for Disadvantaged Two-Year-Olds: the Department will provide £64 million/£223 million/£331 million/£380 million over the next four years. For the first two years of the spending period, this funding will be routed through the Early Intervention Grant. Ministers are considering the most appropriate route for funding from 2013-14 when it is expected that a duty for local authorities to provide free places for all disadvantaged two-year-olds will come into force.
	The Secretary of State for Education's written ministerial statement on the Early Intervention Grant is available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a0070450/written-ministerial-statement-by-the-secretary-of-state-for-education-on-schools-financial-settlement-education-spending
	The Technical Note for the Early Intervention Grant is available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/chiidrenandyoungpeople/earlylearningandchildcare/a0070357/early-intervention-grant-frequently-asked-questions/?cid=LAemail&pla=25feb2011&tvpe=email

Education Business Partnerships: Finance

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to announce his decision on funding for education business partnership services from April 2011.

Nick Gibb: We plan to announce decisions shortly. I will write to the hon. Member.

Education: Assessments

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation will collaborate with universities in its work to monitor and improve the quality of A levels and GCSEs.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for Ofqual, the independent exams regulator and I have asked Glenys Stacey, chief executive of Ofqual, to write to the hon. Member on it. I am aware that Ms Stacey has now done that and I will arrange for a copy of Ms Stacey's letter to be placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Glenys Stacey, dated 8 March 2001:
	Further to your Parliamentary Question asking whether the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation will collaborate with universities in its work to monitor and improve the quality of A levels and GCSEs, I have three key areas of work being undertaken which you may find of interest in relation to this matter.
	 Providing universities a role in the design and development of A levels
	I can confirm that Ofqual has been working in collaboration with colleagues from the Department for Education to establish how universities can be given a key role in the design and development of A levels in future. To date a series of workshops have been held with Higher Education representatives from different subject areas to identify the range of HE requirements for A levels and potential approaches for securing effective involvement.
	We shall take the outcomes to Higher Education management groups, awarding organisations and learned societies to establish how to arrive at a process to secure the involvement of Higher Education in future developments of A levels that commands widespread confidence in the sector.
	 Monitoring work and Higher Education involvement
	In our monitoring work, Ofqual involves Higher Education as appropriate. For work such as scrutinies (in-depth analyses of individual qualifications) and standards reviews (comparisons of standards in a qualification over, say, a five year period) some of the independent subject experts that we use have a Higher Education background.
	In addition, for work that has a clear link with Higher Education, we invite Higher Education representatives as well as other subject experts. For the current international study we invited the university sector specifically (as the purpose of the review was to judge appropriate demand for entrance to UK universities).
	 Recruitment of subject experts
	In order to ensure that recruitment of our independent subject experts is fair and open, Ofqual advertises annually to recruit individuals with subject and/or assessment expertise. It is from this pool that we draw our 'independent' subject experts. In most studies we additionally invite representatives from the regulators for Wales and Northern Ireland, awarding organisations involved in the study and learned societies to nominate representatives. We do not determine how these organisations select their nominees but they would be free to nominate representatives from Higher Education Where appropriate.
	I trust that this clarifies the situation and provides you with the information you require.
	Should you require any further information about this or the workings of Ofqual, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Education: Finance

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how much and what proportion of formula grant to each local education authority has been allocated to expenditure on academies and free schools in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13; how many (i) academies and (ii) free schools there are in each such authority; and how many applications for (A) academies and (B) free schools have been received in respect of each authority;
	(2)  how many  (a) academies and  (b) free schools there are in each local authority area; and how many schools have applied to establish (i) an academy and (ii) a free school in each such area.

Nick Gibb: Formula grant is unhypothecated and it is not therefore possible to identify how much has been allocated for particular services. Local authorities are responsible for decisions on the use of formula grant. The adjustments to the baseline for the formula grant for academies in 2010-11 and 2011-12, by each local authority (LA), are available on the Department for Communities and Local Government's web pages :
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/1011adjustedss.xls
	and
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/1112adjustedss.xls
	As of 4 March 2011 there were 467 academies open in England. In total, 638 schools have submitted an application to convert to academy status. These are shown by LA area in lists updated monthly on the Department for Education website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/academies
	Once on the website click on the link "Schools submitting applications and open academies" where the information can be found.
	There are currently no free schools open. As of 11 March 2011 there have been 323 proposals to set up free schools, which are shown by LA in the following table.
	
		
			  Sum of number of proposals 
			  Local authority  Total 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1 
			 Barnet 3 
			 Barnsley 1 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 2 
			 Bedford Borough 1 
			 Birmingham 21 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 5 
			 Blackpool 2 
			 Bolton 1 
			 Bournemouth 2 
			 Bradford 9 
			 Brent 4 
			 Brighton and Hove 7 
			 Bristol 5 
			 Bromley 3 
			 Buckinghamshire 3 
			 Calderdale 2 
			 Cambridgeshire 5 
			 Camden 3 
			 Central Bedfordshire 1 
			 Cheshire East 1 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 3 
			 Cornwall 5 
			 Croydon 3 
			 Cumbria 2 
			 Derby 2 
			 Derbyshire 2 
			 Devon 8 
			 Doncaster 4 
			 Dorset 1 
			 Dudley 2 
			 Durham 1 
			 Ealing 2 
			 East Sussex 2 
			 Enfield 2 
			 Gloucestershire 1 
			 Greenwich 4 
			 Hackney 1 
			 Halton 1 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 4 
			 Hampshire 2 
			 Haringey 4 
			 Harrow 1 
			 Herefordshire 1 
			 Hertfordshire 8 
			 Hillingdon 2 
			 Hounslow 2 
			 Islington 1 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1 
			 Kent 4 
			 Kingston upon Hull 2 
			 Kirklees 4 
			 Lambeth 4 
			 Lancashire 5 
			 Leeds 6 
			 Leicester City 3 
			 Leicestershire 1 
			 Lewisham 4 
			 Lincolnshire 5 
			 Liverpool 3 
			 Luton 6 
			 Manchester 2 
			 Medway 1 
			 Merton 2 
			 Milton Keynes 2 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 1 
			 Newham 3 
			 Norfolk 4 
			 North Somerset 1 
			 North Yorkshire 1 
			 Northamptonshire 3 
			 Northumberland 2 
			 Nottingham 3 
			 Nottinghamshire 2 
			 Oldham 1 
			 Oxfordshire 12 
			 Portsmouth 1 
			 Proposer did not specify a location 1 
			 Proposer specified several possible locations 8 
			 Reading 4 
			 Redbridge 3 
			 Rotherham 2 
			 Salford 1 
			 Sandwell 2 
			 Sheffield 2 
			 Slough 2 
			 Somerset 3 
			 South Gloucestershire 1 
			 Southwark 4 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 2 
			 Stoke on Trent 3 
			 Suffolk 6 
			 Sunderland 1 
			 Surrey 1 
			 Swindon 1 
			 Tameside 2 
			 Tower Hamlets 6 
			 Waltham Forest 5 
			 Wandsworth 3 
			 Warwickshire 2 
			 West Berkshire 1 
			 West Sussex 2 
			 Westminster 4 
			 Wigan 1 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1 
			 Wirral 1 
			 Wokingham 3 
			 Worcestershire 2 
			 York 1 
			 Total 323

Extracurricular Activities: Regulation

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has for the  (a) regulation and  (b) inspection of out-of-hours schools and clubs.

Tim Loughton: The Government are committed to making regulation and inspection less burdensome and more proportionate to risk. Out of school clubs provided by maintained schools are within scope for inspection by Ofsted as part of routine school inspection. For those out of school clubs run by other providers that register with Ofsted, there is a briefer inspection arrangement.
	Local authorities also have the power to investigate settings outside of schools where there are concerns about children's safety. As well as general safeguarding risks, there is clearly the potential in environments outside of school for children to be influenced by extreme views which are counter to democratic values and we have started to look in detail at ways to stop children coming into contact with such views alongside partners including Ofsted and the police.
	Out of school provision can include anything from teaching at somebody's house to a large registered charity. This provision is mostly unregistered and therefore not subject to inspection, but we have asked Ofsted to look at options for improving public confidence in this sector and Ofsted will be writing to the Secretary of State shortly about this.

Independent Review Panels

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what account is taken of relevant  (a) financial and  (b) non-financial interests in the appointment of members of independent review panels in his Department;
	(2)  what measures are in place to ensure the avoidance of conflicts of  (a) financial and  (b) non-financial interests of members of independent review panels in his Department;
	(3)  what criteria apply in respect of the selection of members of independent review panels commissioned by his Department.

Tim Loughton: There are a number of possible routes by which someone might be appointed to an independent review panel depending on the scope and remit of the panel. Some appointments are made following a very light-touch process while others involve a more formal application and selection processes.
	In all cases, appointees are required to observe Lord Nolan's "Seven Principles of Public Life", often described as "the Nolan Principles". The Seven Principles are selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. Further information describing the principles in more detail can be found on the Commissioner for Public Appointments website:
	http://www.publicappointmentscommissioner.org/Codeof Practice/e0908a66106.html

Local Education Authorities

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Education under what circumstances his Department is authorised to intervene in a local education authority under the provisions of Section 11 of the Education Act 1996.

Tim Loughton: Section 11 of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on the Secretary of State, in exercising his powers to regulate the educational provision made in schools in England and Wales, to improve standards, encourage diversity and increase opportunities for choice. The Secretary of State pays due regard to those duties in exercising his powers of intervention under section 497A of the Education Act 1996 and under part 4 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

Members: Correspondence

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Torbay of 22 December 2010 on his constituent Mark Thorneywork.

Tim Loughton: The Lord Hill of Oareford, replied on 8 March.

National Curriculum Tests

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent progress his Department has made on developing the future Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 curriculum.

Nick Gibb: The review of the national curriculum is taking place in two phases. The first phase of the review will consider the overall shape of the national curriculum, and the new Programmes of Study for English, mathematics, science and physical education, which will remain compulsory at all key stages. We are currently undertaking a call for evidence and engaging with a range of stakeholders. Officials are also currently analysing international curricula in these subjects. The review will use this analysis, alongside the views of stakeholders and responses to our call for evidence, to inform our thinking on what a new national curriculum should look like.

Obesity: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues in the Department of  (a) Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and  (b) Health on the effects of activity levels on obesity in children.

Sarah Teather: The Government take the issue of child obesity seriously and we will be publishing a document later this year to follow up the approach already set out in the White Paper "Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our strategy for public health in England". This work is being taken forward by Government through the appropriate Cabinet Sub-Committee of which I am a member with ministerial colleagues from the Departments of Health and Culture, Media and Sport.

Parents

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Accredited Parenting programmes; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: The Department for Education funds the online Commissioning Toolkit, which presents a robust assessment of the effectiveness of around 100 parenting programmes in common use in England. The toolkit has been developed by the National Academy for Parenting Research and is hosted by the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC).
	In addition to providing information to help local commissioning, the toolkit has guided the choice of parenting programmes for which 1,000 training places have been offered to practitioners by CWDC in 2010-11.

Positive Activities for Young People Programme: Finance

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department allocated to the Positive Activities for Young People Programme in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Tim Loughton: Table 1 following shows the allocations made nationally by the Department for the Positive Activities for Young People programme (PAYP) in these three years. However funding for PAYP is included in the wider non-ringfenced Area Based Grant to local authorities, so decisions on actual spend on these activities are determined locally.
	
		
			  Table 1: Positive activities for young people allocations within the area based grant (for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11) 
			  Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) 
			   £ million 
			 2008-09 52.85 
			 2009-10 74.50 
			 2010-11 94.50

Pre-school Education: Closures

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pre-school facilities closed due to a lack of available trustees in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Sarah Teather: No central records are kept in relation to the number of pre-school facilities that have had to close the last 12 months due to a lack of available trustees.

Pre-school Education: East of England

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many free early years education places were provided in  (a) Suffolk,  (b) Norfolk,  (c) Essex and  (d) Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997.

Sarah Teather: The Department publishes information on the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds in maintained, private, voluntary and independent providers. Part-time equivalent places are derived by counting children taking up 12.5 hours per week as one place, 10 hours per week as 0.8 places, 7.5 hours per week as 0.6 places, five hours per week as 0.4 places and 2.5 hours per week as 0.2 places.
	Table 1 following shows the number of part-time equivalent places filled by three and four-year-olds in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire local authority in each year from 1997 to 2010.
	
		
			  Table 1: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2,3)  filled by three and four-year-olds 
			  Position in January each year:  Suffolk  Norfolk  Essex  Cambridgeshire 
			 1997 8,010 9,700 15,600 6,900 
			 1998 8,160 10,200 16,900 7,600 
			 1999 8,720 10,400 17,200 7,500 
			 2000 8,600 10,800 17,100 7,500 
			 2001 8,900 10,500 17,300 7,900 
			 2002 12,100 13,100 23,800 8,900 
			 2003 12,200 14,600 26,500 10,000 
			 2004 12,900 14,700 26,700 9,900 
			 2005 13,000 14,000 26,300 10,600 
			 2006 12,700 14,500 26,000 11,100 
			 2007 13,200 14,700 26,400 11,400 
			 2008 13,800 15,400 27,400 11,800 
			 2009 13,900 15,400 28,000 12,100 
			 2010 14,500 16,200 29,200 12,600 
			 (1) A place is equal to 12.5 hours (five sessions) and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. (3) Prior to 2004, information on early education places was derived from returns made by local authorities as part of the Nursery Education Grant (NEG) data collection exercise. From 2004 onwards, information has been derived from Early Years Census and School Census data.  Source: NEG, Early Years Census and School Census 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 16/2010 "Provision for children under five years of age in England; January 2010", available on my Department's website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000935/index.shtml

Pupil Numbers

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanisms are in place to take account of high levels of mobility of pupils in pupil level annual school census data.

Nick Gibb: The School Census collects pupil level data on a termly basis from state-funded schools in England. We expect schools to provide data on all pupils attending their school at the time of the census. The National Pupil Database (NPD) is populated with data from the School Census and other pupil level collections. It is possible to use the NPD to track pupils between years.

Pupils: Disability

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the number of disabled children in each local authority area was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sarah Teather: Information on the number of disabled children is not currently available. Such information is being collected for the first time and on a voluntary basis as part of the spring 2011 school census. Future collection and publication arrangements for data on disability will be considered in the light of data and feedback collected in response to January 2011 school census returns which will become available in the spring.
	Information on the number of pupils with statements of special educational needs (SEN) or at school action plus in 2010 by type of need in each local authority can be found in tables 23 to 25 of the Statistical First Release, "Special Educational Needs in England: January 2010" which can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000939/index.shtml

Pupils: Disadvantaged

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his most recent estimate is of the amount that will be spent on pupil premium in each local authority area in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The pupil premium for 2011-12 will be allocated to local authorities and schools with pupils that are known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM) as recorded on the January 2011 School Census, Pupil Referral Unit Census and Alternative Provision Census. Each pupil known to be eligible for free school meals will attract £430 of funding which will go to the school or academy via the local authority or YPLA if the pupil is in a mainstream setting or will be managed by the responsible local authority if the pupil is in a non-mainstream setting.
	Local authorities will also attract the looked after child pupil premium for 2011-12 which will be allocated to local authorities for pupils who at some point in the year to 31 March 2010 were looked after continuously for at least six months, and who were aged four to 15 on 31 August 2009 as recorded on the April 2010 local authority return. Each pupil will attract £430 of funding which will go to the responsible local authority who will pass it to maintained schools for pupils who have been in care for six months or more in the year to 31 March 2011.
	The amounts allocated in 2011-12 will depend on the numbers of FSM and Looked-After pupils recorded on the January 2011 Censuses, so it is not possible to give precise figures for 2011 and subsequent years. We aim to extend the coverage of the pupil premium from 2012-13 onwards to pupils who have previously been known to be eligible for free school meals. We intend to consult on this, including the question of which deprivation indicator to use, in the summer.
	Although it is not possible to give precise figures for 2011 and subsequent years it is possible to estimate how much schools and local authorities will receive based on the figures from the January 2010 Census. The spreadsheet containing these estimates, disaggregated by local authority, region and constituency has been placed in the House Libraries.

Special Educational Needs

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has plans to update his Department's statutory guidance on access to education for children and young people with medical needs published in 2001.

Sarah Teather: There are no immediate plans to update this guidance which was published jointly with the Department for Health. However, I will be discussing the education of these children with Department of Health Ministers to ensure that our two Departments work together to support these children.
	We wish to ensure that the children whose education is covered by this guidance receive the education that they need. Legislation introduced in the Children, Schools and Families Act 2010 and to be commenced in September 2011 will ensure that all pupils without a mainstream school place are entitled to full time education unless medical needs make this prohibitive or inappropriate. This entitlement will include pupils in hospital long-term who are capable of accessing a full-time education.
	This legislation may in due course mean the 2001 guidance will need some minor amendments.

Special Educational Needs: Academies

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations his Department has received on provision of special educational needs services by academies.

Sarah Teather: The Special Educational Consortium (SEC) is the key organisation which has made representations to the Department specifically about specialist support services for children in academies with low incidence or complex needs.
	With the help of the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA), the Department has undertaken a survey of open academies with a high proportion of children with special educational needs (SEN) to inform policy development in this area. We also intend to continue working with the YPLA and the SEC on the issue of monitoring the impact of academy conversions on the provision of SEN services.

Sure Start

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which organisations his Department consulted in developing its policy on the future of Sure Start in accordance with paragraph 2.4 of the Compact between Government and civil society organisations; what feedback his Department has given to the consultees in accordance with paragraph 2.5 of the Compact; and what assessment he has made of the effect of that policy on local efforts to inspire and encourage social action and to empower communities in accordance with paragraph 2.2 of the Compact.

Sarah Teather: The reform programme for Sure Start Children's Centres policy is in the development stage. The Department is working closely with a wide range of civil society organisations with an expertise in early years, including charities, social enterprises and voluntary and community sector organisations, in accordance with the Compact.
	The Department for Education and the Department of Health will be publishing a policy statement on the Early Years later in the year, setting out our vision for reform. We want a system that is led by the professionals who understand how best to deliver these services-and we will be working closely with experts in the early years sector to produce our publication, collaborating on a new vision for the crucial foundation years of each child's life. Further details on our collaborative approach to involving partners, including members of civil society organisations, in developing our policy are available on the Department for Education website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/earlylearningandchildcare/developing

Sure Start: Bolton

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many Sure Start places were provided in Bolton South East constituency in 2009-10; and how many such places he expects to be provided in 2010-11.

Sarah Teather: Sure Start Children's Centres are a clear priority for Government-they play a really important role in supporting families with young children and intervening early to prevent problems from becoming crises. Local authorities have a duty under section 5D of the Childcare Act 2006 to provide sufficient provision of children's centres so far as is reasonably practicable.
	As at 3 March 2011 Bolton local authority had a total of 18 Sure Start Children's Centres. Figures on the number of places provided in children's centres are not collected centrally.

Teachers: Early Retirement

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teachers took early retirement in  (a) Suffolk,  (b) Norfolk,  (c) Essex,  (d) Cambridgeshire,  (e) Bedfordshire,  (f) Hertfordshire and  (g) England in each year since 1997.

Nick Gibb: The following table provides the number of teachers awarded early retirement benefits from the Teachers' Pensions Scheme (TPS), whose last recorded service was in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire local authority areas and for England, in each year from 1997/98 to 2009/10. Figures include teachers retiring from local authority maintained schools, academies and city technology colleges as well as those teachers in independent schools and further and higher education colleges that were covered by the TPS.
	
		
			  Early retirements( 1)  from institutions covered by the Teachers' Pensions Scheme in each local authority area. Years: 1997-98 to 2009-10. Coverage: Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire local authorities and England 
			   Suffolk  Norfolk  Essex( 2)  Cambridgeshire( 2)  Bedfordshire( 3)  Hertfordshire  England 
			 1997-98(4) 110 160 390 190 240 450 17,460 
			 1998-99 10 50 70 30 30 60 2,750 
			 1999-2000 20 50 80 10 30 40 2,960 
			 2000-01 40 50 50 10 30 80 3,740 
			 2001-02 60 60 100 10 40 110 4,400 
			 2002-03 70 80 110 10 50 100 5,110 
			 2003-04 90 110 120 10 70 90 6,120 
			 2004-05 80 130 170 20 50 130 7,570 
			 2005-06 140 140 170 20 50 170 8,410 
			 2006-07 110 150 180 30 50 190 9,400 
			 2007-08(5) 100 180 220 20 60 130 9,320 
			 2008-09(5) 120 180 230 30 70 160 9,820 
			 2009-10(5) 100 180 160 20 60 150 9,110 
			 (1) Includes premature and actuarially reduced benefits. Include actuarially reduced benefit awards from 2000/01. (2) Cambridgeshire and Essex local authorities were re-organised on 1 April 1998 and therefore the figures for 1997/98 are for the former local authority areas including Peterborough (Cambridgeshire) and Southend and Thurrock (Essex). (3) Bedfordshire local authority was re-organised on 1 April 2009 and retirements are not available for the new local authorities in Bedfordshire. (4) The effect of the change in the Teachers' Pension Scheme as from 31 August 1997 was that many more teachers took early retirement in 1997/98 than in other years. (5) Provisional.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Database of Teacher Records and Pensioner Statistical System (PENSTATS)

Teaching Methods: Finance

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the likely cost to the public purse of introducing one-to-one tuition for all people aged 16 to 18 years who do not have at least a GCSE grade C in  (a) English and  (b) mathematics.

Nick Gibb: Funding for the current one-to-one tuition programme for seven to 14-year-olds in 2010-11 is based on tuition in a school environment, provided by a qualified teacher, which includes 10 hours of tuition plus two hours planning time. The per pupil funding available for these 12 hours, plus schools' administration costs ranges from inner London area at £426.72, outer London at £413.72 and £374.72 elsewhere. In addition £17 million is provided to local authorities to enable them to support delivery of the programme.
	We know that the number of pupils in maintained schools who did not achieve at least a GCSE grade C, not including equivalents, at the end of KS4 in 2010, were 199,661 in English and 221,817 in mathematics.
	There is no current tuition programme targeted at 16 to 18 years and the costs of any new programme would be dependent on the volume of tuition provided, as well as any costs falling to central and local government to support delivery of such a programme to this age range.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer  (a) question 25142 tabled on 16 November 2010 for answer on 18 November 2010,  (b) question 36851 tabled on 25 January 2011 for answer on 27 January 2011,  (c) question 37249 tabled on 26 January 2011 for answer on 31 January 2011,  (d) questions 39892, 39893 and 39894 tabled on 8 February 2011 for answer on 10 February 2011 and  (e) question 41443 tabled on 14 February 2011 for answer on 16 February 2011.

Nick Gibb: A response to 25142 was issued on 15 March 2011,  Official Report, column 180W. A response to 37249 was issued on 10 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1224W. A response to 41443 was issued on 10 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1229W.
	Responses to the hon. Member's questions 36851, 39892, 39893, 39894 have been issued today.

Youth Taskforce: Finance

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department allocated to the Youth Taskforce in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Tim Loughton: The following amounts were allocated for the administrative running costs of the Youth Task Force:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2008-09 1,800,000 
			 2009-10 1,280,000 
			 2010-11 440,000 
		
	
	The amounts of programme funding allocated to and managed directly by the Youth Task Force were £15.3 million in 2008-09, £18.7 million in 2009-10, and £23.4 million in 2010-11.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Advantage West Midlands: Pay

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was paid in bonuses to staff by Advantage West Midlands in 2009-10.

Mark Prisk: Details of the performance pay awarded to five senior staff at Advantage West Midlands (AWM), totalling £53,515, in 2009-10 is given on page 47 of the Agency's Report and Accounts to 31 March 2010 (HC252). A total of £131,928 performance pay was made to 331 AWM staff as part of the agency's agreed pay and reward system.

Apprentices

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) apprenticeship and  (b) advanced apprenticeship starts he plans in (i) Southend West constituency, (ii) the Southend borough council area and (iii) the Essex county council area in each of the next two years; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: The apprenticeships programme is demand led. Government do not set targets for apprenticeships but provides funding and forecasts the overall number of places that may be afforded. We rely on employers and providers to work together to offer sufficient opportunities to meet local demand.
	This is underpinned by this Government's commitment that by 2014-15, we will have in place sufficient funding for 75,000 more adult apprenticeship places than the previous Government were providing.

Arms Trade

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what proportion of weapons manufactured in the UK were exported in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the UK arms manufacturing sector in  (a) 1990,  (b) 1995 and  (c) in each year since 2000;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of persons employed in the arms manufacturing sector in the UK who are engaged in the  (a) manufacture for sale overseas and  (b) the sale (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas of (A) arms systems, (B) other weapons and (C) munitions.

Mark Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) does not have data on what proportion of weapons manufactured in the UK were exported. BIS has not made any estimate of the monetary value of the UK arms manufacturing sector. However, new defence export orders for the UK totalled £7.2 billion in 2009, based on information provided on a confidential basis to UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation by industry.
	The Ministry of Defence's (MoD) last estimate, covering 2007/08, of the number of defence jobs in the UK dependent on their equipment expenditure relating to the manufacture of weapons and ammunition was 5,000 direct and 2,000 indirect. For the same period, the estimated number of UK defence jobs dependent on defence exports relating to the manufacture of weapons and ammunition was 1,000 direct and 1,000 indirect (with all figures rounded to the nearest 1,000 full-time equivalents). MOD do not have a breakdown according to the categories requested and no longer produce these statistics.

Arms Trade: Exports

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what arms exports have been licensed for  (a) Morocco,  (b) Tunisia,  (c) Algeria,  (d) Libya,  (e) Egypt,  (f) Yemen,  (g) Saudi Arabia and  (h) Bahrain since June 2010; and what restrictions were placed on their use.

Mark Prisk: Information on arms exports is published in the Annual and Quarterly Reports on Strategic Export Controls. These reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. military, other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. They are available to view at:
	https://www.exportcontroldb.berr.gov.uk/eng/fox
	The reports currently available include information up to 30 September 2010. Information covering 1 October to 31 December 2010 will be published at the beginning of April 2011 and information covering 1 January 2011 to 31 March 2011 will be published in July 2011.
	Export licences do not normally contain conditions regarding end-use.

Business: Internet

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of online business turnover which is dependent on Internet search engines as a means of achieving sales.

Mark Prisk: We have made no such estimate.

Business: Regulation

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what regulations affecting business have been removed by his Department in the last 10 months.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 14 March 2011
	We have included provision in the Protection of Freedoms Bill to repeal the following powers of entry:
	Article 22 of the Distribution of German Enemy Property (No. 1) Order 1950
	Regulation 24(6) of the Gas Appliances (Safety) Regulations 1995.
	In addition:
	On 3 March the Government announced they will amend the Companies Act to bring small company audit rules in line with the EU minimum, saving UK companies up to £40 million in unnecessary audit fees.
	We plan to look at relaxing the audit and account rules for subsidiaries.
	Early outcomes from the Employment Law Review include:
	The launch of a consultation document on resolving workplace disputes, without having to go to an employment tribunal;
	The launch of the Employer's Charter, which sets out in straightforward language the steps any employer can take in managing their workforce legally and fairly;
	The establishment of the Sickness Absence Management review.

Careers Advice

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the dedicated schools grant will be allocated to the all-age careers service.

Nick Gibb: I have been asked to reply.
	The level of the Dedicated Schools Grant in 2011-12 has been announced. Together with the pupil premium, this forms the level of schools budgets. There are no amounts within these totals ring fenced or separately identified for any purpose; it will be for schools to determine how they use their resources, including for securing access to careers guidance.

Credit Cards: Fees and Charges

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to ensure that credit card transaction fees are proportionate to the cost of processing payments when buying goods and services.

Edward Davey: Which? have announced that they will shortly be submitting a super-complaint to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on card payment surcharges. We will carefully consider the OFT's response before deciding what steps to take.

Departmental Public Consultation

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many public consultations his Department and its predecessors have conducted in each of the last 10 years; for how long each consultation was open; how many responses were received to each consultation; and what the cost to the public purse of conducting each consultation was.

Mark Prisk: The Information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. This Department publishes its consultation information on its website which can be accessed at
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/Consultations

Departmental Regulation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many regulations sponsored by his Department have been  (a) introduced since 24 November 2010 and  (b) revoked since 3 February 2011.

Mark Prisk: Between 24 November 2010 and 2 March 2011, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) introduced 26 regulations through statutory instrument. Of these, only three impose a substantive cost on business.
	We have included provision in the Protection of Freedoms Bill to repeal the following powers of entry:
	Article 22 of the Distribution of German Enemy Property (No.1) Order 1950
	Regulation 24(6) of the Gas Appliances (Safety) Regulations 1995.
	In addition:
	On 3 March the Government announced they will amend the Companies Act to bring small company audit rules in line with the EU minimum, saving UK companies up to £40 million in unnecessary audit fees.
	We plan to look at relaxing the audit and account rules for subsidiaries.
	Early outcomes from the Employment Law Review include:
	the launch of a consultation document on resolving workplace disputes, without having to go to an employment tribunal;
	the launch of the Employer's Charter, which sets out in straightforward language the steps any employer can take in managing their workforce legally and fairly;
	the establishment of the Sickness Absence Management review.

Departmental Regulation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions his Department has consulted representatives of small businesses on the effects of proposed new regulations since 6 May 2010.

Mark Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has launched 33 written consultations since May 2010. These are available for viewing on the Department's internet site at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/Consultations
	BIS seeks views on these from businesses of all sizes and their representatives, including those of small businesses. In addition, Ministers have regular meetings with small business representative bodies, including the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend's Entrepreneurs' Forum, which has met once; and the Small Business Economic Forum, which has met twice.

Departmental Regulation

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many regulations affecting businesses have been revoked under his Department's one-in one-out policy since his appointment.

Mark Prisk: Since the implementation of the one-in, one-out rule two domestic measures have been removed or recast to reduce the net cost to business up to 9 March 2011. There were also a number of measures implemented prior to the implementation of one-in, one-out that were designed to reduce the cost to business. Departments across Government are carrying out reviews of their existing stock of regulation, and further de-regulatory measures will form part of the Great Repeals Bill,

Education: Biometrics

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of further and higher education institutions using biometric systems; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: We do not require colleges and universities to provide this information. The Department understands a few colleges have installed biometric systems in their libraries. A recent snapshot survey carried out for this Department by the Association of Colleges showed that, out of the 16 colleges that responded, two had biometric systems, one in a library and one in a learning centre.
	Colleges and universities are independent institutions and are free to make their own decisions about what sort of systems they install.

English Language: Education

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the requirement for English for speakers of other languages courses in  (a) Leyton and Wanstead constituency,  (b) the London Borough of Waltham Forest and  (c) Greater London;
	(2)  how many people in  (a) Leyton and Wanstead constituency and  (b) the London Borough of Waltham Forest are eligible for a level of fee remission for English for speakers of other languages courses;
	(3)  what his assessment is of the effect of English for speakers of other languages courses funded from the public purse on  (a) the contribution to the economy by those whose first language is not English and  (b) levels of community cohesion.

John Hayes: holding answer 14 March 2011
	The Department has made no estimate of the requirement for English for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) courses.
	The Government currently pay 50% of ESOL course fees for all learners in England who are eligible for public-funded skills provision. Those on income-based benefits are eligible for full fee remission.
	From August 2011, full Government funding will be provided for ESOL to unemployed people in receipt of jobseekers allowance or in the Employment and Support Allowance (Work-Related Activity) Group, where English language skills have been identified as a barrier to entering employment. We will also continue to pay 50% of ESOL course fees for people who are settled here. We will no longer fund ESOL courses delivered in the workplace.
	The Government recognise the role of good English-language skills in enabling speakers of other languages to contribute to the economy and play a full part in society.

English Language: Education

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of learners in receipt of fee remission for English for Speakers of Other Languages courses are in receipt of benefits.

John Hayes: holding answer 14 March 2011
	Near-final data for 2009/10 shows that 116,600 adults that participated on an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course were in receipt of fee remission. Of these, 71,200 learners (61%) received fee remission as they were in receipt of benefits.
	We do not directly record in the system what type of benefits people are receiving when they take up training. We do, however, collect information on why a learner has received fee remission for any learning they undertake. From this data we can provide some information on claimants but this should be used with caution given it neither provides an accurate picture about the level of learners who are also benefit claimants nor what other learning and or benefit entitlements that person might also have.
	Information on participation on ESOL courses is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January 2010:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Export Credits Guarantees: Sudan

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in respect of which projects in Sudan supported by the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) before 1980 debt is owed to ECGD.

Edward Davey: Details of projects supported by ECGD before 1980 are not available and refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 17 January 2011,  Official Report, column 619W.
	Records of the goods and services supplied under individual contracts to which the debts originally relate are no longer held.

Institute for Learning

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has had discussions with further education lecturers and their representatives on mandatory membership of the Institute for Learning.

John Hayes: I met with representatives of the University and College Union (UCU), Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) on 15 February. One of the items we discussed was the Institute for Learning membership fees.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from the retail motor sector on the application of a European code of conduct to  (a) car manufacturers and  (b) franchised dealers under the Block Exemption Regulation.

Mark Prisk: I met the Retail Motor Industry Federation along with representatives of major car dealerships on 1 March 2011 and this issue was discussed.

Northwest Regional Development Agency

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  whether he has made an assessment of the effect on the economy of the North West Regional Development Agency's inward investment support function;
	(2)  whether he has made an assessment of the  (a) cost to the public purse and  (b) effect on employment levels in the North West of the transfer to UK Trade and Investment of the North West Regional Development Agency's inward investment support function.

Mark Prisk: No assessment has been made by this Department of the effect on the economy of the North West Regional Development Agency's (RDA) inward investment function. UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is carrying out a procurement for a new national contractor for foreign direct investment (FDI). Within the procurement, UKTI is requiring bidders to develop a framework to deliver FDI projects. That framework needs to be capable of delivering broadly the same number of projects in the north-west as it received in 2009/10, the last full year for which figures are available.
	
		
			  UKTI recorded FDI successes in the north-west 
			  Level of involvement  Number of projects  Number of new jobs  Number of safeguarded jobs  Total number of associated 
			  2009/10 
			 UKTI and/or RDA involved 136 6,556 5,132 11,688 
			 No involvement 43 528 1,270 1,798 
			 Total 179 7,084 6,402 13,486 
			  
			  2008/09 
			 UKTI and/or RDA involved 114 4,565 4,931 9,496 
			 No involvement 62 606 1,334 1,940 
			 Total 176 5,171 6,265 11,436 
		
	
	Clearly the mix of those projects, and employment levels arising from them, will vary from year to year.
	The impact on the public purse is yet to be established as the procurement process is not finished but the total cost of this national service will be less than the aggregate costs of RDA delivery previously.

Nurses: Education

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many places for nursing courses there were at Northumbria university in each year since 2008.

David Willetts: The Department does not hold information on how many places there were for nursing courses at Northumbria university in each year since 2008. The numbers of enrolments to nursing courses at Northumbria university are shown in the table as an alternative, for the 2008/09 and 2009/10 academic years. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from January 2012.
	
		
			  Enrolments to nursing( 1)  courses at Northumbria university academic years 2008/09 and 2009/10 
			  Academic year  Enrolments( 2) 
			 2008/09 3,795 
			 2009/10 3,785 
			 (1) Nursing is classified as a principal subject by the HESA Joint Academic Coding System. (2) Covers postgraduate and undergraduate students of all domiciles enrolled on full-time and part-time courses, and students in all years of study.  Note: Figures in the table are based on a HESA standard registration population and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record

Student Loans: East Sussex

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average student loan taken out in  (a) East Sussex and  (b) Hastings and Rye constituency was in each year since 2005.

David Willetts: The average tuition fee and maintenance loan paid in East Sussex and the Hastings and Rye constituency, in academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10 are shown in the tables.
	
		
			  Average student loan paid, East Sussex( 1)  by academic year 
			  £ 
			   2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2009/10 
			 Tuition Fee Loan n/a 1,980 2,500 2,880 3,020 
			 Maintenance Loan 3,530 3,690 3,620 3,600 3,660 
			 n/a = Not applicable (1) Based on address at the time of application. Amounts rounded to nearest £10.  Source: Student Loans Company 
		
	
	
		
			  Average student loan paid, Hastings and Rye constituency( 1)  by academic year 
			  £ 
			   2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2009/10 
			 Tuition Fee Loan n/a 2,070 2,570 2,890 3,030 
			 Maintenance Loan 3,680 3,880 3,710 3,640 3,680 
			 n/a = Not applicable (1) Based on address at the time of application. Amounts rounded to nearest £10.  Source: Student Loans Company 
		
	
	Tuition fee loans were introduced in academic year 2006/07.

Students: Fees and Charges

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will prepare and publish an equality impact assessment on the decision to increase the cap on student fees to  (a) £6,000 and  (b) £9,000; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: holding answer 14 March 2011
	 The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published on the 29 November 2010 an interim equality impact assessment on the package of reforms to higher education funding and student finance, which included the increase of the basic and higher amounts to £6,000 and £9,000 respectively. The assessment is available at
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/higher-education/docs/i/10-1310-interim-equality-impact-assessment-he-funding-and-student-finance.pdf

Students: Fees and Charges

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effect on the relative propensity of students to apply to universities charging higher level tuition fees of (i) outreach projects and (ii) paying an additional £900 in fees as outlined in the plans of the Director General for Fair Access.

David Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has undertaken its own evaluation of various outreach activities and continues to monitor work done by others. BIS funded substantial monitoring and evaluation of activities which took place as part of the Aimhigher programme. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has encouraged institutions to develop their approaches to evaluation, and organisations such as the Sutton Trust have undertaken evaluation of their own outreach activities such as summer schools. Sir Martin Harris's report "What more can be done to widen access to highly selective institutions?" (OFFA, April 2010) summarised the difficulties in isolating the effects of outreach activities from other factors influencing higher education participation, but concluded that there was robust evidence on the effectiveness of a range of outreach activities. The report highlighted evidence which showed that
	"coordinated, sustained outreach works best"
	and that schemes
	"targeted at groups of very able students identified as having the potential to succeed in a selective institution, have been shown to significantly improve the likelihood of participants both applying to and entering such institutions."
	It also made particular note of the evidence that university summer schools
	"often delivered either in collaboration with Aimhigher or the Sutton Trust"
	have been shown to be
	"particularly effective in raising the aspirations, and consequently the application and entry rates of their participants to selective institutions."
	In his guidance to institutions, issued this month, the Director of Fair Access has set out his expectation that those institutions charging the highest rates and with the furthest to go in widening participation, fair access and retention, should be doing most to protect access. The guidance includes guideline expenditure on access to help institutions in drawing up their own plans. The guidance also sets out a greater focus on outcomes, including through targeted outreach. The Director of Fair Access requires institutions to submit annual monitoring returns reporting on their expenditure on access measures and their progress against their agreed access targets. Institutions are expected to evaluate the impact of their plans with a view to directing expenditure at those access and retention measures that are most likely to succeed.

HEALTH

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of those who contracted HIV from contaminated blood products administered by the NHS are now clear of the virus.

Anne Milton: HIV remains an incurable infection and those infected do not clear the virus.

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will publish  (a) each written submission,  (b) each minute of meetings and  (c) all other information he received from each of the expert working groups consulted during his Department's review of the treatment of those infected with contaminated blood products;
	(2)  in what form he received the submissions of each of the five expert working groups who contributed to his Department's review of the treatment of those infected with contaminated blood products.

Anne Milton: One expert group was convened to support the review and commissioned to provide a report. It provided scientific advice on the spectrum and impact of disease associated with hepatitis C infection. The expert group met once on 26 October 2010. A short preparatory paper and the minute of that meeting have been placed in the Library. The expert group's report "Reviewing the natural history of hepatitis C infection" was published as annex 4 to the full report "Review of the support available to individuals infected with Hepatitis C and/or HIV by NHS-supplied blood transfusions or blood products and their dependants" (January 2011). The full report has already been placed in the Library.

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he made of the financial needs of those infected with contaminated blood during his Department's recent review of the treatment of those infected with contaminated blood products.

Anne Milton: The rationale for the new payments announced following the review is explained in sections 4 and 5 of the review report "Review of the support available to Individuals Infected with Hepatitis C and/or HIV by NHS-supplied blood transfusions or blood products and their dependants" (January 2011). The report has already been placed in the Library.

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people who contracted hepatitis C virus from contaminated blood products administered by the NHS have now been cleared of the virus while in  (a) stage 1 and  (b) stage 2.

Anne Milton: It is not known how many individuals who have received payments from the Skipton Fund have subsequently cleared the hepatitis C virus. However, evidence suggests that 15-25% of infected individuals clear the virus naturally in the acute phase of the infection, and drug therapy is able to achieve effective viral clearance in the majority (currently on average 55%) of individuals treated before cirrhosis has developed.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on  (a) salaries and  (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date.

Simon Burns: The estimated pay bill, including pension costs, for special advisers in financial year 2010-11 is set out on the website at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
	The Department follows the policy on remuneration for special advisers laid down by the Cabinet Office, including relevant pension arrangements, in the 'Model Contract for Special Advisers' which can be found at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/special-advisers-model-contract_0.pdf

Departmental Regulation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions his Department has consulted representatives of small businesses on the effects of proposed new regulations since 6 May 2010.

Simon Burns: Information on when the Department consults with representatives of small business is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Policy teams within the Department regularly engage with stakeholder groups including representatives from small business. This could be through public consultation, informal meetings and formal meetings such as working groups and stakeholder engagement exercises.

Drugs and Alcoholic Drinks: Rehabilitation

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential rehabilitation centres for  (a) drugs,  (b) alcohol and  (c) drugs and alcohol there were in England in each year since 2005.

Anne Milton: Data on the number of residential centres in England are not available centrally.
	However, each local drug partnership will have information on the level of local provision for drug dependency and up to date contact details for each partnership can be found via the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) website. The regional teams section of the site provides links to the details of each local partnership. This is available at:
	www.nta.nhs.uk/regional.aspx
	Commissioning of alcohol residential rehabilitation services is the responsibility of local adult social services departments. Adult social services are active partners in drug partnerships and often co-ordinate their activity for alcohol clients with the partnership.
	Most, but not all, non-statutory providers of specialist residential drug treatment in England provide information on their services, on a voluntary basis, to a national online directory called Rehab Online, which is maintained by the NTA. Information from Rehab Online currently suggests that there are 121 residential rehabilitation providers which treat drug and alcohol dependency and 14 alcohol only services.
	These data are incomplete because they do not include data from all non-statutory providers or any from national health service services.

General Practitioners

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the experience GPs have in budget management to be required under his proposals for GP commissioning.

Simon Burns: It will be for general practitioner (GP) consortia to decide within the legislative framework how they carry out their functions. It is likely to be a smaller group of GPs who would lead and play a hands-on, executive role in a consortia. Consortia will also have a management allowance that they will be able to use to secure support for discharging their responsibilities from a range of sources: this could include support to assist with administrative and commissioning duties.
	As outlined in the NHS Operating Framework 2010-11, primary care trust clusters will be helping the development of GP consortia through offering support in the development of their consortia, including support through a qualified or accredited senior finance manager.

General Practitioners

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential role of  (a) nurses and  (b) other ancillary health professionals in the proposed arrangements for GP commissioning.

Simon Burns: We believe that effective general practitioner (GP) commissioning will require the full range of clinical and professional input alongside that of local people. Nurses, allied health professionals (AHPs) and other clinicians all have a vital role to play and a real opportunity to develop services and improve the health outcomes of their local populations. In community services in particular, nurses and AHPs will have a key role in supporting commissioners.
	The Health and Social Care Bill places a duty on the NHS Commissioning Board and GP consortia to make arrangements to ensure that they have appropriate advice from professionals with expertise in health. Appropriate structures to ensure nursing engagement are already evolving naturally in the GP pathfinder consortia areas with, for example, clinical cabinets with nurse representation. We believe, however, that the board and consortia should have the freedom and flexibility to decide how best they exercise this duty, rather than rely on rigid prescribed structures.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of implementing the European Directive on cross-border healthcare;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of introducing national contact points under the provisions of the European Directive on cross-border healthcare.

Anne Milton: The costs associated with the treatment of patients in other European Economic Area (EEA) member states will ultimately fall on the commissioning bodies in the United Kingdom. It will be necessary to consider how this will work in future in England as part of the national health service system architecture changes.
	The reimbursement of the costs of health services obtained by the patient in another EEA state is capped at the cost of the same or equivalent treatment which the NHS would have made available to the patient under the NHS. The directive reflects the accumulated case law established by the European Court of Justice, which is already implemented in the UK by regulation.
	Since patients are only entitled to seek reimbursement up to the cap in respect of necessary medical care where the NHS would have made the same or an equivalent treatment available to them, the money for this is in principle already in the system. Similarly, provider bodies will be able to charge incoming patients the full WHS cost of treatment.
	There may be additional costs associated with the directive-for example, in connection with the set up of national contact points and in administering the reimbursement of costs. However, these are still to be quantified and should be considered in the context of the requirements already placed upon the NHS to provide information to patients and to have processes in place for managing requests for treatment overseas and handling reimbursement.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of patients from other EU member states who will use NHS services in the 12 months following implementation of the European Directive on cross-border healthcare.

Anne Milton: The numbers of people who travel overseas for treatment is low. There is very limited information on the current levels of cross-border healthcare in Europe. Assessment is therefore not easy. Responsibility for these matters is devolved to individual primary care trusts in England (and health boards in the devolved administrations).
	It is possible, over time, that the United Kingdom will see requests from more European Union patients for access to treatment in hospitals with particular specialist services, where perhaps there are capacity issues in their home countries. However, no provider would be required to accept any patient from elsewhere in the EU to the detriment of home patients. In addition, EU patients would be required to pay the full cost of national health service treatment in advance of that treatment happening.

Hospital Wards

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to increase the number of single rooms available to hospital patients in the NHS.

Simon Burns: All business cases for general and acute hospital schemes approved by the new Government contain 50% or more single rooms and half of these contain 100% single rooms.
	The Department's guidance is that the proportion of single rooms in new hospital developments should aim to be 50% but should not fall below 20% and must be higher than the facilities they are replacing. The policy and design guidance for the provision of single rooms in mental health accommodation is 100%.
	Each national health service trust makes an informed decision locally regarding the appropriate percentage of single room provision based on practical considerations such as site restrictions, affordability as well as clinical and operational limitations. In some cases, providing single rooms for all patients may not be clinically appropriate.
	"The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011/12" states that:
	"Provision of additional single en-suite rooms needs to be included in considering capital investment to eliminate mixed sex accommodation, improve patient's privacy and dignity and provide increased isolation facilities for infection control."

Injuries: Knives

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many knife wound injuries were treated in hospitals in  (a) Suffolk,  (b) Bedfordshire,  (c) Cambridgeshire,  (d) Essex,  (e) Hertfordshire and  (f) Norfolk in each year since 1997.

Anne Milton: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following tables. Data on knife wound injuries are not available by county. The data in the following tables are by primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA).
	
		
			  Number of finished admission episodes (FAEs) where the external cause code was knife wound for selected SHA/PCT of residence, 2006-07 to 2009-10 
			  East of England SHA 
			  PCT of residence description  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Luton PCT 56 53 47 38 
			 South East Essex PCT 113 121 113 117 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 44 60 67 49 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 87 108 94 88 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 81 78 77 81 
			 Peterborough PCT 69 77 70 89 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 194 171 206 180 
			 Norfolk PCT 149 153 131 141 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 30 41 43 41 
			 Suffolk PCT 96 103 100 117 
			 West Essex PCT 54 74 97 74 
			 North East Essex PCT 74 51 60 63 
			 Mid Essex PCT 79 103 83 155 
			 South West Essex PCT 103 105 96 98 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of FAEs where the external cause code was knife wound for selected SHA/PCT of residence, 1997-98 to 2005-06 
			  Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA 
			  PCT of residence description  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Norwich PCT 34 25 39 44 34 53 48 43 48 
			 North Peterborough PCT 29 32 34 36 35 38 63 47 41 
			 South Peterborough PCT 17 19 22 17 28 19 32 23 29 
			 West Norfolk PCT 28 30 17 39 27 30 32 36 28 
			 Southern Norfolk PCT 29 28 31 29 22 27 29 42 41 
			 Huntingdonshire PCT 16 19 22 16 16 24 21 18 23 
			 Great Yarmouth PCT 18 28 24 16 23 15 27 21 17 
			 Cambridge City PCT 39 32 39 34 39 30 42 43 53 
			 South Cambridgeshire PCT 24 19 21 34 23 26 34 33 35 
			 East Cambridgeshire and Fenland PCT 16 19 16 36 24 28 30 29 35 
			 Broadland PCT 13 20 21 16 24 17 10 23 17 
			 North Norfolk PCT 16 10 10 11 * 21 15 19 17 
			 Ipswich PCT 34 26 32 45 44 30 44 41 31 
			 Suffolk Coastal PCT 12 11 10 10 10 15 14 12 11 
			 Central Suffolk PCT 13 11 7 19 10 15 8 12 12 
			 Waveney PCT 19 15 20 30 15 13 19 14 14 
			 Suffolk West PCT 33 31 35 43 49 54 31 52 43 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of FAEs where the external cause code was knife wound for selected SHA/PCT of residence, 1997-98 to 2005-06 
			  Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA 
			  PCT of residence description  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Hertsmere PCT 11 7 14 11 14 12 17 15 16 
			 Luton PCT 34 20 17 34 42 38 46 41 53 
			 Bedford PCT * 8 15 15 27 24 20 27 31 
			 Bedfordshire Heartlands PCT 24 21 13 24 32 39 26 36 31 
			 Welwyn Hatfield PCT 19 6 16 11 12 17 22 16 17 
			 North Hertfordshire and Stevenage PCT 29 38 33 38 30 32 36 40 40 
			 South East Hertfordshire PCT 16 21 27 16 26 24 24 30 24 
			 Royston, Buntingford and Bishop's Stortford PCT 7 * * * 12 9 14 18 10 
			 Watford and Three Rivers PCT 21 21 28 35 31 42 36 30 33 
			 Dacorum PCT 22 17 19 29 20 24 30 27 23 
			 ST Albans and Harpenden PCT 19 11 17 6 21 14 23 14 24 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of FAEs where the external cause code was knife wound for selected SHA/PCT of residence, 1997-98 to 2005-06 
			  Essex SHA 
			  PCT of residence description  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Tendring PCT 14 19 11 17 32 26 36 31 25 
			 Epping Forest PCT 15 12 14 22 21 19 30 36 29 
			 Southend on Sea PCT 80 47 79 67 62 71 45 53 66 
			 Harlow PCT 23 6 14 13 30 17 22 24 20 
			 Maldon and South Chelmsford PCT 14 22 20 17 14 16 14 18 24 
			 Colchester PCT 16 16 18 12 32 27 40 36 39 
			 Uttlesford PCT 17 6 17 12 15 10 12 16 11 
			 Billericay, Brentwood and Wickford PCT 11 20 19 27 22 27 23 27 39 
			 Thurrock PCT 45 39 37 44 47 45 50 48 38 
			 Basildon PCT 28 28 41 36 41 58 43 49 32 
			 Chelmsford PCT 27 32 40 46 42 46 29 36 45 
			 Castle Point and Rochford PCT 37 37 47 39 33 29 39 33 33 
			 Witham, Braintree and Halstead Care Trust 24 30 28 32 27 39 36 32 38 
			  Notes: 1. FAEs: A FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. Cause code: A supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects. Only the first external cause code which is coded within the episode is counted in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Codes in italics are those used to define assault. Knife wound: W26 Contact with knife, sword or dagger; X78 Intentional self-harm by sharp object; X99.- Assault by sharp object; Y28.- Contact with sharp object, undetermined intent. These four codes identify any sharp object, and therefore include (but are not limited to) knives. 3. SHA/PCT of residence: The SHA or PCT containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. 4. NHS Re-organisation: In July 2006, the national health service reorganised SHAs and PCTs in England from 28 SHAs into 10, and from 303 PCTs into 152. As a result data from 2006-07 onwards are not directly comparable with previous years. 5. Data quality: Hospital Episode Statistics HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 6. Small numbers: To protect patient confidentiality, figures between one and five have been replaced with '*' (an asterisk). Where it was still possible to identify numbers from the total an additional number (the next smallest) has been replaced. 7. Activity included: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.  Source: HES, The NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care

Lung Transplant

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are awaiting a lung transplant in  (a) Bolton,  (b) Greater Manchester and  (c) London; and how many such patients are over the age of 65 years.

Anne Milton: The number of people awaiting a lung transplant with postcodes falling, within Bolton, Greater Manchester, London, and the United Kingdom, over 65, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Area  All patients  Patients over 65 
			 All UK (1)202 4 
			 Bolton 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 15 0 
			 Central London (2)10 0 
			 Greater London (3)21 0 
			 (1) Includes one suspended and 13 for heart/lung. (2) Includes one for heart/lung. (3) Includes one for heart/lung. Source: NHS Blood and Transplant National Transplant Database, as at 14 March 2011

NHS: Procurement

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of  (a) the cost of healthcare commissioning by primary care trusts in the last 12 months for which figures are available and  (b) the likely cost of healthcare commissioning under his proposals for GP commissioning in the first 12 months of their operation.

Simon Burns: The impact assessment, that was published alongside the Health and Social Care Bill in January, details current commissioning costs and expected savings from general practitioner commissioning.
	The total estimated commissioning costs budget for 2010-11 is £3.9 billion. Consortia will be authorised from April 2012 and will take on full responsibility for commissioning healthcare from April 2013, For 2013-14, the commissioning costs budget will be £2.7 billion, leading to a saving of £1.2 billion on 2010-11 costs.
	The impact assessment is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsLegislation/DH_123583
	A copy has been already placed in the Library.

Nurses: Manpower

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses per 100 beds there were in  (a) England,  (b) West Suffolk hospital and  (c) Ipswich hospital in each year since 2009.

Anne Milton: The following table gives the number of nurses per 100 beds in the areas requested as at 30 September 2009. Information on the ratio of nurses to beds for 2010 will be available following publication of the annual NHS Workforce Census on 22 March 2011.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: qualified nursing staff in England, Ipswich  H ospital NHS  T rust and West Suffolk  H ospitals NHS Trust per 100 "total available beds" as at 30 September 2009 
			Number 
			 England - 246.6 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust RGQ 285.0 
			 West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust RGR 173.4 
			  Notes: 1. The "total available beds" figure is the average daily number of open and staffed beds on wards open overnight in national health service hospitals in England. Figures are submitted annually on form KH03 by each NHS trust and provide a summary across all hospital sites within the trust. 2. Staff in post figures are as at 30 September 2009. Figures are calculated against headcount. 3. Figures are rounded to one decimal place.  Sources: 1. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census 2. Department of Health KH03

Obesity

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of  (a) children and  (b) adults were (i) obese and (ii) overweight when measured by body mass index in (A) Bury St Edmunds constituency, (B) Suffolk county council area, (C) the East of England and (D) England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: Information is not available in the format requested.
	Information on the percentage of overweight and obese children in England is available in the "Health Survey for England-2009 trend tables", Child trend tables, Table 4. Information is provided for children aged two to 15 in England for the years 1995 to 2009. This information is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse09trends
	The proportion of children aged two to 15 recorded as overweight and obese by strategic health authority (SHA) for 2008 is available in Table 13.3 on page 327 of the "Health Survey for England-2008: Physical activity and fitness". The information is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse08physicalactivity
	Further information on the prevalence of overweight and obese children at a primary care trust (PCT) and local authority (LA) level is available through the National Child Measurement programme. Information is available for children in reception (four-five years) and year six (10-11 years) for the year 2009-10. Information showing prevalence of overweight and obese children in these two school years by LA, PCT, SHA and for England is available at:
	Tables 2 and 3 of the accompanying Excel file of the National Child Measurement programme: England, 2009-10 school year report is available at:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/obesity/national-child-measurement-programme-england-2009-10-school-year
	Information on the percentage of obese adults aged 16 and over in England is available in the "Health Survey for England-2009 trend tables", Adult trend tables, Table 4. Information is provided for adults in England for the years 1993 to 2009. This information is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse09trends
	The proportion of adults aged 16 and over recorded as obese by SHA for 2008 is available in Table 7.3 on page 194 of the "Health Survey for England-2008: Physical activity and fitness". The information is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse08physicalactivity
	All these publications have already been placed in the Library.

Orphan Drugs

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to endure that primary care trusts provide funding for patients to obtain access to drugs with orphan drug status.

Simon Burns: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are legally obliged to provide funding to enable drugs positively appraised by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to be made available in line with NICE'S guidance. This includes drugs with European orphan designation.
	In the absence of NICE guidance, PCTs are responsible for making funding decisions based on the needs of their local healthcare populations.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has plans to review the list of chronic illnesses which entitle those diagnosed with those illnesses aged under 18 years or over 60 years to free prescriptions.

Simon Burns: We are continuing to explore options for reforming the current prescription charging arrangements, taking into account the financial context. In particular, we are examining the implications of the introduction of universal credit in relation to those current benefits that entitle the recipient of that benefit to free prescriptions. We are also looking at the implications of state pension age changes. We will make announcements about how these changes will be implemented in due course.
	Currently all those aged 18 and under in full time education, and those age 60 or over, are exempt from prescription charges in England.

Radiosurgery

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he expects the report of the National Radiotherapy Implementation Group on radiosurgery to be published;
	(2)  what progress he has made in establishing a national tariff for stereotactic radiosurgery;
	(3)  what the reason is for the time taken to publish the report of the National Radiotherapy Implementation Group on radiosurgery.

Paul Burstow: The National Radiotherapy Implementation Group (NRIG) established a subgroup to look at stereotactic radiotherapy (SR), also called stereotactic radiosurgery, in January 2010. It was tasked with reviewing the evidence for all possible clinical indications for SR, assessing existing levels of SR service provision and evaluating the equipment on the market that can deliver SR. It was asked to produce a report by December 2010.
	The sub-group presented its draft report to NRIG in January 2011, and the final report was recently submitted to the National Cancer Director, Professor Sir Mike Richards, for his assessment. We expect the report to published in the next few months.
	Regarding the introduction of a national tariff for SR, in "Improving Outcomes a Strategy for Cancer" we have set out our intention to investigate the potential development of a range of tariffs to incentivise high quality, cost-effective services, including for the newest radiotherapy techniques. A copy of the strategy has already been placed in the Library.

Salt

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to promote Salt Awareness Week; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such activities.

Anne Milton: Salt Awareness Week is this year being hosted by the hon. Member for Southend West (Mr Amess), as such no cost will be borne by the Department.
	Action to reduce salt consumption is being taken forward with the food industry and public health organisations, including Consensus Action on Salt and Health as part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal.

Sickle Cell Diseases: Children

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve  (a) prevention and  (b) management,  (c) rehabilitation of strokes in children with sickle cell disease.

Anne Milton: Through the national health service sickle cell and thalassaemia screening programme all expectant women are offered screening for sickle cell disease and thalassaemia. In addition all newborns are offered screening for sickle cell. This allows newly born infants with sickle cell disease to receive a definitive diagnosis of their condition, ensuring that prompt and specific treatment can begin immediately. The Department has supported initiatives to improve the management of the condition including, asking National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to produce a short clinical guideline on the management of a sickle cell crisis in hospital, launching a national registry to identify patients with the condition and monitor care, and funding more NHS posts to increase the number of staff with specific expertise. However, planning local services is a matter for local commissioners.

Tattoos

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by the NHS in each of the last three years on the removal of tattoos; and if he will estimate the proportion of such spending which was on convicted prisoners in each year.

Anne Milton: The information requested is not available.

Transplant Surgery

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account the NHS takes of a patient's age when deciding whether a patient can receive an organ transplant.

Anne Milton: People are considered for inclusion on the transplant waiting list based on a clinical assessment of their suitability. There is no specific age limit and health professionals decide in each individual case. This includes a number of factors such as the person's physical health and expected life expectancy post transplant.
	Rules for allocating organs are determined by the medical profession in consultation with other health professionals, the Department and specialist advisory groups. Depending on the organ, the blood group, age and a range of other factors relating to both the donor and recipient are all taken into account to ensure the best possible match for each patient. A computer program is used by NHS Blood and Transplant to identify the best matched patient, or alternatively, the transplant unit to which the organ is offered.

Urology: Nurses

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings he has had with representatives of the specialist nursing sector to discuss the work of frontline staff in stoma care.

Anne Milton: Departmental officials are currently arranging a meeting with representatives of the specialist nursing sector to discuss the work of frontline staff in stoma care.

Vaccination: Procurement

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is a non-electronic alternative to the online ImmForm system for the ordering of vaccines.

Anne Milton: From 1 April 2011, ImmForm will become the default process for ordering childhood immunisations. General practitioners may be able to make alternative arrangements with their local primary care trust (PCT) where the PCT is in agreement.
	Business continuity plans are in place in the event of an Information Technology failure, but these will be invoked to handle exceptional situations only and will not be available as a normal vaccine ordering route.

JUSTICE

Corruption

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what work he has undertaken in his role as the UK's international anti-corruption champion; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: As international anti-corruption champion, I hold a key co-ordination role for Government in their international anti-corruption efforts. In this capacity I have consulted with colleagues in other Departments, with NGOs, and with other national and international stakeholders to ensure a coherent and joined-up approach to combat international corruption.
	I have already visited Slovakia and Romania to discuss transparency issues and strengthening the independence and integrity of justice systems. I will continue to discuss these important matters with my colleagues in EU member states and countries applying for EU membership.
	My priority is the implementation of the Bribery Act 2010. The UK stands alongside our partners in the OECD, the UN, the EU and the Council of Europe, in recognising that bribery needs to be met with robust criminal offences.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many claimants to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme were awarded the maximum award of compensation available in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many cases the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority concluded in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Kenneth Clarke: The number of cases CICA has resolved and the number of maximum awards (£500,000) they have paid in each of the last five complete financial years is as follows:
	
		
			   Cases resolved  Including maximum awards 
			 2009-10 67,597 39 
			 2008-09 64,506 61 
			 2007-08 65,248 41 
			 2006-07 59,096 28 
			 2005-06 62,073 14

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much compensation was paid out by the criminal injuries compensation scheme for each type of injury in each financial year since 1997;
	(2)  which injuries are covered by the criminal injuries compensation scheme; and what level of compensation is attached to each such injury.

Jonathan Djanogly: I have placed the information answering the right hon. Member's questions in the Libraries of the House.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding his Department allocated to the criminal injuries compensation scheme in each financial year since 1997.

Kenneth Clarke: As part of a Machinery of Government change, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, which manages the criminal injuries compensation scheme, became the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice from 9 May 2007. Prior to 9 May 2007, the responsibility for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority rested with the Home Office.
	The Ministry of Justice pays cash grants each year to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority for scheme payments and administrative costs. The following table shows the total compensation payments made by the authority from 2007-08 to 2010-11 for cases in England and Wales, funded by the Ministry of Justice.
	
		
			  Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority 
			  £000 
			 2007-08 (Outturn) 222,391 
			 2008-09 (Outturn) 237,352 
			 2009-10 (Outturn) 218,531 
			 2010-11 (Forecast Outturn) 244,000

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on  (a) salaries and  (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date.

Kenneth Clarke: I refer the hon. Member to the latest data release on the Cabinet Office website. This lists the names and pay bands of the special advisers in post at various times, and their actual salaries where these are £58,200 or higher. This is published together with details of the special advisers' pay ranges for 2010-11, and the total pay bill cost of special advisers in each period.
	Please note that the estimated pay bill includes pension costs, and that the details of pension arrangements are set out in the "Model contract for Special Advisers".
	These publications can be found at the following link:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases

Departmental Public Expenditure

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the Spring Supplementary Estimate 2010/11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a reduction of £770,000 in non-voted expenditure offset by an increase in voted expenditure in relation to an internal movement in funding from the Parole Board.

Jonathan Djanogly: It is Ministry of Justice's responsibility to manage the control totals set by HM Treasury and as part of the Department's operational responsibility and financial management, it works closely with its business areas in order to review forecast plans and in year expenditure and uses the estimates process to appropriately align funding to business area forecast expenditure. This is a business as usual practice and includes transfers to and from the Department's arms-length bodies.
	As a result of an internal review of forecast outturn plans, the transfer of the total £770,000 resource funding from the Parole Board relates to:
	(1) an internal switch of £187,000 resource with capital;
	(2) an internal transfer of £530,000 to HM Court Service related to Judicial training costs; and
	(3) an internal transfer of £53,000 related to litigation costs.
	The impact of this transfer in the estimate has resulted in a reduction of non budget funding of an arms-length body, with no overall increase in the departmental expenditure limit.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the Spring Supplementary Estimate 2010/11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a reduction of £175,000 in voted expenditure offset by an increase in non-voted expenditure in relation to an internal movement in funding to the Legal Services Commission.

Jonathan Djanogly: It is Ministry of Justice's responsibility to manage the control totals set by HM Treasury and as part of the Department's operational responsibility and financial management, it works closely with its business areas in order to review forecast plans and in year expenditure and uses the estimates process to appropriately align funding to business area forecast expenditure. This is a business as usual practice and includes transfers to and from the Department's arm's length bodies.
	"According to the Spring Supplementary Estimate this transaction relates to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and not the Legal Services Commission.
	As a result of an internal review of forecast outturn plans, the transfer of £175,000 resource funding to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority relates to additional capital funding to fund the Electronic Workforce Management Project and the Business Continuity Project.
	The impact of this transfer in the estimate has resulted in an increase in non budget funding for an arm's length body and with no overall increase in the departmental expenditure limit.

Departmental Rail Travel

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are entitled to travel first class by rail within the UK.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice suspended first class rail travel for all staff in October 2010, and staff are required to book all rail travel in standard class save in exceptional circumstances, supported by a business case and subject to approval by the Ministry of Justice's Value for Money Improvement Committee Secretariat or, in the case of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), to a director or CEO.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what regulations his Department introduced between 9 and 28 February 2011;
	(2)  what regulations his Department revoked between 9 and 28 February 2011.

Jonathan Djanogly: Between 9 and 28 February 2011, the Ministry of Justice has neither laid nor revoked statutory instruments which have regulatory impact.

Departmental Written Questions

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of written questions tabled to him for answer on a named day between 27 May 2010 and 9 March 2011 did not receive a substantive answer on the day named for answer.

Jonathan Djanogly: Between 27 May 2010 and 9 March 2001, the Ministry of Justice has answered 430 named day questions, of which 424 (98.6%) were answered on the day named for answer. 31 (7.2%) of the 430 were not answered substantively on the day named for answer of which 14 were answered by giving an undertaking to write and 17 stated the answer would partially or fully breach the disproportionate cost threshold.

Fixed Penalties

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of each category of fixed penalty notices were  (a) issued and  (b) paid in each month since their introduction in each police force area; and how many on-the-spot fines have been issued in each police area since their introduction.

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply.
	Data on fixed penalty notices issued for each recorded category of offence in respect of a vehicle are provided in the tables which have been placed in the House Library. The information provided is annual from 1997 to 2008 as the Home Office do not collect the data monthly.
	Detailed data on payment rates of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) reported to the Home Office are not separately identified by individual offence. A table showing payment rates for all FPNs follows.
	Data for earlier years can be found in the archive link on the Home Office website at:
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/police-powers-archive.html#motoring
	A fine can only be imposed by a court after due process and conviction, however from 2009 onwards police officers have been able to take deposits on drivers without a UK address in respect of a fixed penalty or fine they might be given. Data on the number of these imposed are not reported to the Home Office.
	
		
			  Percentage of fixed penalty notices paid, by force area and type of notice- England and Wales 
			  Percentage 
			   Endorsable( 1)  Non-endorsable  d river present  Driver absent( 2)  All notices 
			   Met. police( 3)  Other forces  All forces  Met. police( 3)  Other forces  All forces  Met. police( 3)  Other forces  All forces  Met. police( 3)  Other forces  All forces 
			 1996 92.4 93.3 93.2 72.7 73.2 73.1 69.0 73.5 73.1 75.5 78.7 78.4 
			 1999 93.8 95.2 95.1 73.9 72.1 72.2 65.2 72.2 71.5 73.2 79.3 78.7 
			 2000 96.5 97.1 97.1 72.8 73.1 73.1 62.5 71.8 70.7 71.7 81.3 80.4 
			 2001 97.8 98.4 98.4 71.4 72.4 72.3 59.1 70.2 68.9 71.6 83.2 82.2 
			 2002 98.2 98.7 98.7 71.3 73.7 73.4 59.4 70.2 68.8 72.9 85.4 84.3 
			 2003 98.5 99.1 99.1 73.6 71.0 71.3 60.5 70.0 68.2 74.2 88.5 87.0 
			 2004 98.8 98.2 98.2 73.9 73.9 73.9 63.8 72.2 70.6 79.1 89.0 87.9 
			 2005 99.2 98.5 98.5 74.0 76.5 76.3 63.7 72.5 72.2 91.2 90.2 90.2 
			 2006 99.0 97.1 97.3 74.6 76.4 76.3 62.6 72.6 72.3 89.6 88.9 89.0 
			 2007 97.4 98.0 98.0 71.3 74.7 74.4 67.1 73.0 72.8 88.1 89.7 89.6 
			 2008 97.8 97.1 97.2 73.3 74.0 74.0 73.7 73.9 73.9 90.9 89.2 89.3 
			 (1) Includes offences detected by automatic cameras (up to and including 1998) and all cameras (from 1999) for which a conditional offer of a fixed penalty was made and which can only be counted if made substantive, i.e. if paid. (2) For driver absent offences, a notice to owner is issued in the event of non-payment which can act as a reminder. (3) Metropolitan police.

HM Courts Service: Finance

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the budget was for HM Courts Service in each financial year from 2005-06 to date.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information is as follows:
	The budget for HMCS for each financial year is shown in the following table;
	
		
			  HMCS budget year on year from 2005-06 
			  £000 
			   RDEL   
			   Nr cash  Non cash  Total RDEL  CDEL  AME 
			 2005-06 774,202 193,963 968,165 107,186 - 
			 2006-07 756,967 170,680 927,647 122,887 - 
			 2007-08 857,309 219,286 1,076,595 167,290 - 
			 2008-09 799,499 435,790 1.235,289 144,848 - 
			 2009-10 762,028 233,070 995,098 163,340 220,000 
			 2010-11 745,059 124,707 869,766 158,613 151,100 
		
	
	The resource budget (RDEL) comprises of both near cash items, for example staff salaries, judicial costs, rent, rates and magistrates expenses and non cash items for example depreciation and cost of capital.
	The capital budget (CDEL) covers the costs of capital build projects.
	Annually managed expenditure (AME) is a budget provided for expenditure that is highly volatile for example the impairment on the revaluation of property.

Housing: Prices

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what requirements the Land Registry places on developers relating to the provision of accurate information on the price of new properties.

Jonathan Djanogly: Land Registry is under a statutory obligation to enter the price paid or value declared for the registered estate, where this is practicable (rule 8(2), Land Registration Rules 2003).
	The onus is on applicants for registration to complete their transfers, leases and applications correctly and to provide accurate information as to the price paid. If there is no conflicting information as to the accuracy of the information provided, the registrar would not normally query the price or value.
	The price paid may not represent the full market value of a property.
	If it is obvious from a transfer or lease that a discount has been applied, Land Registry will enter the price paid as the lowest or net amount.
	If it appears from a transfer or lease that there may have been a discount or cashback, and the actual amount paid for the property is not clear, Land Registry will requisition for the lowest or net price paid and will enter that as the price paid in the register. Generally, however, Land Registry will not raise a requisition merely to improve the price paid or value stated information in its possession.
	Land Registry will not enter a price paid if it is not ascertainable or may be misleading, for example where there are portfolio transfers or transfers of a share in a property. If, for example, the price is not specified but is dependent on provisions in documents Land Registry does not see, or it cannot be calculated at the time of registration, then no entry will be made.

Housing: Prices

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what powers the Land Registry has to take action in instances where the registered price of a new property is higher than the sale price.

Jonathan Djanogly: The registered proprietor or another interested party (such as their mortgagee) may make an application to Land Registry to amend or remove the price paid or value declared entry if they feel there is a mistake or the entry is misleading. The application will need to include the appropriate evidence and will be considered in the same way as any other application for alteration of the register. The price paid or value stated entry will be that supplied by the purchasers or their conveyancer at the time of registration, and the registrar cannot change the entry merely because the value of the property has since fallen.

Housing: Prices

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice under what circumstances a price other than the sale price of a property may be registered with the Land Registry.

Jonathan Djanogly: If there is no consideration or premium in a deed, Land Registry enters details of the value of the land as declared by the applicant.
	Where a property has not been sold but there is a statement of value for fee purposes, Land Registry may make an entry based on that statement. For example: "The value as at (date of application)was stated to be between £50,001 and £80,000."
	Again, Land Registry will not make an entry if it may be misleading for some reason.

Prison Service: Manpower

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison staff have been appointed on the new prison officer contract in each prison since September 2009.

Crispin Blunt: Information on the number of individuals appointed onto prison officer 2 terms and conditions between 30 September 2009 and 31 December 2010 is contained in the table as follows. The figures include officer 2s who have since left the Service.
	
		
			  Prison officer 2s appointed at each Prison Service establishment-30 September 2009 to 31 December 2010 
			  Establishment  Prison officer 2s appointed 
			 Acklington 0 
			 Ashwell 1 
			 Askham Grange 0 
			 Aylesbury 1 
			 Bedford 9 
			 Belmarsh 7 
			 Birmingham 0 
			 Blantyre House 0 
			 Blundeston 0 
			 Brinsford 0 
			 Bristol 20 
			 Brixton 5 
			 Buckley Hall 4 
			 Bullingdon 7 
			 Bullwood Hall 1 
			 Bure 31 
			 Canterbury 0 
			 Cardiff 4 
			 Castington 0 
			 Channings Wood 0 
			 Chelmsford 11 
			 Coldingley 4 
			 Cookham Wood 8 
			 Dartmoor 4 
			 Deerbolt 10 
			 Dorchester 0 
			 Dover 0 
			 Downview 0 
			 Drake Hall 0 
			 Durham 0 
			 East Sutton Park 0 
			 Eastwood Park 3 
			 Edmunds Hill 0 
			 Erlestoke 2 
			 Everthorpe 0 
			 Exeter 2 
			 Featherstone 1 
			 Feltham 16 
			 Ford 2 
			 Foston Hall 3 
			 Frankland 5 
			 Full Sutton 2 
			 Garth 0 
			 Gartree 13 
			 Glen Parva 26 
			 Gloucester 4 
			 Grendon 0 
			 Guys Marsh 5 
			 Haslar 0 
			 Haverigg 0 
			 Hewell 17 
			 High Down 7 
			 Highpoint 0 
			 Hindley 11 
			 Hollesley Bay 1 
			 Holloway 10 
			 Holme House 17 
			 Hull 4 
			 Huntercombe 1 
			 Isis 65 
			 Isle of Wight 0 
			 Kennet 0 
			 Kingston 0 
			 Kirkham 0 
			 Kirklevington Grange 0 
			 Lancaster 0 
			 Lancaster Farms 0 
			 Latchmere House 0 
			 Leeds 0 
			 Leicester 6 
			 Lewes 0 
			 Leyhill 4 
			 Lincoln 5 
			 Lindholme 0 
			 Littlehey 87 
			 Liverpool 0 
			 Long Lartin 9 
			 Low Newton 0 
			 Maidstone 0 
			 Manchester 0 
			 Moorland 3 
			 Morton Hall 0 
			 New Hall 0 
			 North Sea Camp 0 
			 Northallerton 4 
			 Norwich 8 
			 Nottingham 43 
			 Onley 7 
			 Pentonville 20 
			 Portland 0 
			 Preston 0 
			 Ranby 5 
			 Reading 6 
			 Risley 0 
			 Rochester 8 
			 Send 0 
			 Sheppey Cluster 113 
			 Shepton Mallet 0 
			 Shrewsbury 0 
			 Stafford 1 
			 Stocken 18 
			 Stoke Heath 15 
			 Styal 0 
			 Sudbury 2 
			 Swansea 0 
			 Swinfen Hall 2 
			 The Mount 2 
			 The Verne 0 
			 Thorn Cross 0 
			 Usk/Prescoed 0 
			 Wakefield 1 
			 Wandsworth 22 
			 Wan-en Hill 5 
			 Wayland 7 
			 Wealstun 27 
			 Wellingborough 6 
			 Werrington 0 
			 Wetherby 35 
			 Whatton 9 
			 Whitemoor 0 
			 Winchester 0 
			 Woodhill 10 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 17 
			 Wymott 0 
			 Total 851 
			 (1) Includes officer 2s who have since left the service (2 )Where an officer 2 has served at two establishments their latest or last establishment is reported. (3) Includes existing Prison Service staff who converted to prison officer 2.

Prisoners' Release

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to ensure that those referred to the Peterborough prison social impact bond scheme are representative of all short-term prisoners released.

Crispin Blunt: All adult male prisoners who are discharged from HMP Peterborough having been sentenced to less than 12 months will be included in the pilot.
	There will be three cohorts, each containing 1,000 discharged prisoners. To measure the success of the pilot, each cohort will be assigned to a matched control group by the pilot's Independent Assessor, who will match every prisoner discharged from Peterborough to 10 other prisoners released from similar prisons.
	This is to ensure that any success of the pilot, seen as a reduction in the number of times the Peterborough prisoners are reconvicted compared to the control group, can be attributed to the pilot's interventions and not to the characteristics of prisoners in Peterborough.

Prisoners' Release

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has plans to implement further social impact bond schemes based on the model used at HM Prison Peterborough.

Crispin Blunt: The Government set out in the Green Paper "Breaking the Cycle: Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders" their proposals to establish at least six new payment by results projects for reducing reoffending. These include two payments by results projects for offenders released from prison, focusing on those offenders who are sentenced to less than 12 months in prison, and two large scale projects for offenders managed on community sentences and those released on licence. We will work with providers to refine our proposals and complete the design of the projects by August 2011. However, the design of the projects will not necessarily be based on the social impact bond model used at HM Prison Peterborough but it will be one of the options for consideration.

Prisoners' Release

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to ensure all offenders sentenced to 12 months or less take part in a social impact bond scheme.

Crispin Blunt: The Government set out in the Green Paper "Breaking the Cycle: Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders" their proposals to establish at least six new payment by results projects for reducing reoffending. These include two payments by results projects for offenders released from prison, focusing on those offenders who are sentenced to less than 12 months in prison, and two large scale projects for offenders managed on community sentences and those released on licence. We will work with providers to refine our proposals and complete the design of the projects by August 2011. However, the design of the projects will not necessarily cover all offenders.

Prisoners' Release

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the level of reoffending of prisoners who are not referred to the social impact bond scheme at HM Prison Peterborough.

Crispin Blunt: All prisoners sentenced to under 12 months who are discharged from HMP Peterborough will be referred to the Social Impact Bond scheme.
	Individual prison re-offending rates for 2007 in England and Wales were published for the first time by the Ministry of Justice in the Compendium of Reoffending Statistics and Analysis in November 2010. This can be accessed at:
	www.justice.gov.uk/publications/compendium-reoffending.htm
	The Compendium includes figures for offenders discharged from HMP Peterborough for sentence lengths of under 12 months or 12 months and more. From October 2011 these figures will be updated on a quarterly basis.
	The Compendium includes re-offending rates for each prison in 2007 presented by prison category and prison sentence length of under 12 months. The re-offending rates provided have been calculated based on the prison from which an offender was discharged and ignores the time spent at other institutions during that sentence.

Prisoners: Mass Media

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 8 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 1055-6W, on prisoners: mass media, what consideration was given to consulting victims of crime or their representatives on the preparation of Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 37/2010 on prisoner access to the media; which persons and organisations his Department consulted in preparing the instruction; and if he will consult victims of crime and their representatives on the contents of PSI 37/2010 and amend it accordingly.

Crispin Blunt: A number of internal and external stakeholders were consulted on Prison Service Instruction PSI 37/2010 Prisoners' Access to the Media, prior to publication. This was in line with NOMS policy on the approval and implementation of such instructions. The consultation process included NOMS policy teams with oversight of the statutory victim contact scheme. There are no plans to review the policy on prisoner access to the media at present or to consult the victims of crime or their representatives on its contents.

Prisoners: Publications

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 8 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 1056-7W, on prisoners: publications, with which publishers and newspapers  (a) prisons and  (b) National Offender Management Service hold subscriptions; and what the title is of each publication for which subscriptions are paid for its use in prisons.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not record this information centrally and to separate and collect it from local sources could be achieved only at disproportionate cost. Judgment on appropriate publications for prisoners is left to senior managers within prisons.

Prisons and Probation Ombudsman: Public Appointments

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent in each category of expenditure on  (a) advertising for and  (b) recruiting for the position of Prisons and Probation Ombudsman; how many applications his Department has received; and when he expects an appointment to be made.

Crispin Blunt: Advertising costs for the recruitment of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman were £7,270.00 plus VAT. The value of the contract for executive search and related services is £23,000 plus VAT. Forty-one applications were received. Our expectation is that an appointment will be made by June 2011.

Prisons: Construction

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much capital funding his Department has allocated for prison building for each year of the comprehensive spending review period;
	(2)  how much capital funding his Department and its predecessor allocated to prison building in each financial year between 1994-95 and 2010-11;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of damage caused to each prison affected by disturbances in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: £76 million capital funding has allocated to prison building for 2011-12 and £8 million for 2012-13. No capital funding has been allocated for prison building after this date.
	Central records of capital funding for prison building before the Ministry of Justice was formed (i.e. April 2007) are not held centrally. Providing these details would require individual offices to be contacted and so incur disproportionate costs. Capital funding has been allocated for prison building since 2007 as follows:
	
		
			   £million 
			 2007-08 363 
			 2008-09 554 
			 2009-10 433 
			 2010-11 255 
		
	
	Central records are only held of disturbances at prisons where the estimated cost of repair is £250,000 and above. Obtaining details of repairs for less serious disturbances would mean contacting individual prisons and so incur disproportionate costs.
	In the last twelve months the estimated cost of repair of damage caused during prison disturbances of above £250,000 is about £4.3 million.

Prisons: Mobile Phones

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been charged with an offence under section 45 of the Crime and Security Act 2010 since its entry into force.

Crispin Blunt: Section 45 of the Crime and Security Act 2010 is not yet in force. It is due to commence later this year. There have been no instances, therefore, of people been charged with an offence under this section.

Prisons: Mobile Phones

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanisms he has put in place to prevent the use of mobile communication devices within prison.

Crispin Blunt: We have implemented a strategy to minimise the number of mobile phones entering prisons, to find phones that do get in and to disrupt mobile phones that cannot be found.
	The Offender Management Act 2007 made it a criminal offence to convey specific items, including mobile phones and associated equipment into or out of a prison or to transmit sounds or images from within a prison. The Crime and Security Act 2010 will also make it an offence, with a penalty of up to two years' imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine, to possess an unauthorised mobile phone or other electronic equipment or component element that can receive or transmit information electronically within a prison.
	Robust local security and searching strategies are key to addressing the risks presented by illicit mobile phones. A range of technology has been made available to prisons to strengthen searching and security, including portable mobile phone signal detectors, body orifice security scanners (BOSS chairs) and high sensitivity metal detecting wands which can detect internally concealed items such as mobile phones.
	We are trialling a range of signal denial technology in a number of establishments; however, at this stage we cannot provide much detail for security and operational reasons. The trials confirm that denying signals in prisons is not a quick, simple or cheap option. It is highly technically challenging, given the nature of the different fabric and layouts of prisons, the need to identify technology that is effective at denying signals within prisons without adversely affecting signals outside the prison and ensuring compliance with health and safety and regulatory requirements.

Prisons: Violence

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many injuries were sustained by  (a) prisoners and  (b) prison staff in each prison disturbance for each category of injury in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: National Offender Management Service records a variety of incidents that are related to disorder or disturbances at various levels of seriousness. These are set out in the footnote to the table.
	The table shows details of the number of serious or minor injuries sustained by  (a) prisoners and  (b) prison staff in each prison disturbance for each category of injury from 1 March 2010 until 28 February 2011. Serious injuries include fractures, black eye, cuts requiring sutures and puncture wounds. The majority of disorder-related incidents are of a minor nature and are resolved quickly and professionally.
	
		
			  Table 1: Breakdown of injuries sustained by (a) prisoner and (b) staff by incident category and establishment, from 1 March 2010 to 28 February 2011 
			  Establishment  Incident type( 1)  Serious injury staff  Serious injury prisoner  Minor injury staff  Minor injury prisoner 
			 Altcourse Concerted Indiscipline Active(2) - 1 - - 
			 Altcourse Incident at Height(3) - - - 1 
			 Ashfield Concerted Indiscipline Active - - - 1 
			 Ashfield Concerted Indiscipline Active - 2 8 13 
			 Aylesbury Hostage - - 1 2 
			 Blundeston Incident at Height(4) - - - 1 
			 Brinsford Concerted Indiscipline Active 1 - - 1 
			 Bristol Incident at Height - - - 1 
			 Brixton Incident at Height - - 1 1 
			 Castington Incident at Height - - 1 1 
			 Channings Wood Concerted Indiscipline Active - - - 1 
			 Coldingley Concerted Indiscipline Active - - 1 - 
			 Coldingley Hostage - - - 1 
			 Cookham Wood Concerted Indiscipline Active - - - 1 
			 Cookham Wood Concerted Indiscipline Active - - - 3 
			 Doncaster Hostage - - - 1 
			 Dorchester Concerted Indiscipline Active - 1 3 6 
			 Exeter Incident at Height - 1 - - 
			 Full Sutton Hostage - (5)1 - - 
			 Full Sutton Hostage - - - 1 
			 Gloucester Concerted Indiscipline Active - - - 1 
			 Guys Marsh Concerted Indiscipline Active - - - 1 
			 Highdown Incident at Height - - - 1 
			 Highpoint Concerted Indiscipline Active - - 3 - 
			 Hindley Incident at Height - - - 2 
			 Isis Incident at Height - - 1 1 
			 Lancaster Farms Incident at Height - - - 1 
			 Lindholme Concerted Indiscipline Active - - 1 3 
			 Littlehey Concerted Indiscipline Active - - 2 - 
			 Littlehey Concerted Indiscipline Active 1 - 1 - 
			 Littlehey Concerted Indiscipline Active 3 - - - 
			 Liverpool Incident at Height - - - 1 
			 Moorland (closed) Concerted Indiscipline Active - - - 1 
			 Moorland (closed) Concerted Indiscipline Active - 1 - - 
			 Moorland (closed) Concerted Indiscipline Active - - - 1 
			 New Hall Incident at Height - 1 - - 
			 Northallerton Concerted Indiscipline Active - - - 3 
			 Parc Concerted Indiscipline Active - - 1 - 
			 Parc Concerted Indiscipline Active 1 - 3 - 
			 Peterborough Concerted Indiscipline Active - - - 5 
			 Reading Incident at Height - - 1 - 
			 Reading Incident at Height - - 1 - 
			 Rye Hill Concerted Indiscipline Active - - 3 - 
			 Rye Hill Incident at Height - - - 1 
			 Shrewsbury Incident at Height - - - 1 
			 Swaleside Concerted Indiscipline Active 3 - 10 7 
			 The Verne Incident at Height - - - 1 
			 Warren Hill Concerted Indiscipline Active - 1 1 5 
			 Warren Hill Concerted Indiscipline Active - - 2 3 
			 Wealstun Concerted Indiscipline Active - - - 1 
			 Werrington Concerted Indiscipline Passive - - 2 - 
			 Werrington Concerted Indiscipline Passive - - 2 - 
			 Wetherby Incident at Height - - - 1 
			 Winchester Incident at Height - - - 1 
			 Wormwood Scrubs Incident at Height - - - 1 
			 (1) Concerted Indiscipline is when two or more prisoners act together in defiance of a lawful instruction or against the requirements of the regime of the establishment. (2) Active Concerted Indiscipline (e.g. prisoners actively attempt to stop staff from regaining control of a situation and may use violence). (3) Passive Concerted Indiscipline (e.g. sit-down protest with no violence involved). (4) An incident at height is defined as any incident taking place over three feet from ground level and includes where prisoners have gained access to safety netting. (5) This has been the only occurrence which has resulted in the loss of life due to an incident of disturbance. 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.
	These figures may change should any further incidents relating to this period be identified and reported to NOMS.

Prisons: Violence

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which prisons experienced any kind of disturbance in the last 12 months; and what the nature was of each such disturbance.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service records a variety of incidents that are related to disorder or disturbances at various levels of seriousness. Details of these, for the period requested, are shown in the following table. The majority of disorder-related incidents are of a minor nature and are resolved quickly and professionally.
	
		
			  Breakdown of disorder-related incidents by establishment between 1 March 2010 and 28 February 2011 
			  Establishment  Incident at height( 1)  Concerted indiscipline  (Active)( 2,3)  Concerted indiscipline (Passive)( 3,4)  Hostage 
			 Acklington 1 - - - 
			 Altcourse 3 1 - 1 
			 Ashfield 6 4 1 - 
			 Ashwell - 1 - - 
			 Aylesbury 2 - - 1 
			 Bedford 4 - - 1 
			 Belmarsh 3 - - - 
			 Blundeston 1 - - - 
			 Brinsford - 2 - - 
			 Bristol 2 1 - - 
			 Brixton 8 - 1 - 
			 Buckley Hall 2 - - - 
			 Bullingdon I - - 1 
			 Camp Hill 12 - - - 
			 Cardiff 2 - - - 
			 Castington 2 - - - 
			 Channings Wood 10 1 - - 
			 Chelmsford 5 - - - 
			 Coldingley - 1 - 1 
			 Cookham Wood - 4 - - 
			 Dartmoor 1 - - - 
			 Deerbolt - - - 1 
			 Doncaster - 1 - 2 
			 Dorchester - 1 - - 
			 Dover - 1 - - 
			 Durham - - - 1 
			 Eastwood Park - - 1 - 
			 Elmley 7 - - - 
			 Erlestoke 4 - 1 - 
			 Everthorpe 2 - 1 - 
			 Exeter 5 - - - 
			 Featherstone 2 - - - 
			 Feltham 5 1 - - 
			 Ford - 1 - - 
			 Frankland 1 - - - 
			 Full Sutton 2 1 1 3 
			 Gartree 2 - 1 - 
			 Glen Parva 2 1 - - 
			 Gloucester 2 1 - - 
			 Guys Marsh - 1 - - 
			 Haverigg 5 - - - 
			 Hewell 1 - - 1 
			 High down 2 - - - 
			 Highpoint 1 1 - - 
			 Hindley 23 - - - 
			 Holloway - - - 1 
			 Hull 1 - - - 
			 Huntercombe 1 - - - 
			 Isis 5 - - - 
			 Kingston 1 - - - 
			 Lancaster Castle 1 - - - 
			 Lancaster Farms 9 - - - 
			 Leeds 3 - 1 2 
			 Lincoln 3 - - - 
			 Lindholme 8 1 - - 
			 Littlehey 2 7 1 2 
			 Liverpool 41 - 3 - 
			 Long Lartin - 1 - 1 
			 Manchester 3 - - - 
			 Moorland 2 3 - - 
			 New Hall 2 - - - 
			 Northallerton - 1 - - 
			 Norwich - 1 2 - 
			 Nottingham 8 - - - 
			 Onley 3 - 1 - 
			 Parc 25 3 4 - 
			 Parkhurst 3 - 2 - 
			 Pentonville 2 - 1 - 
			 Peterborough 5 1 1 - 
			 Prescoed - 1 - - 
			 Preston 1 - - - 
			 Ranby 11 - 1 - 
			 Reading 4 2 - - 
			 Risley 9 - - - 
			 Rochester 8 - - - 
			 Rye Hill 2 2 - - 
			 Shrewsbury 2 - - - 
			 Stafford 2 - - - 
			 Stocken - 1 - - 
			 Stoke Heath 9 - 3 - 
			 Styal 2 - 1 - 
			 Swaleside - 1 1 - 
			 Swinfen hall 2 - - - 
			 The Mount 1 - - - 
			 The Verne 1 - 1 - 
			 Wakefield - 1 - - 
			 Wandsworth 2 - - - 
			 Warren Hill 1 2 - - 
			 Way land 4 - - - 
			 Wealstun 1 1 1 - 
			 Wellingborough 6 1 - - 
			 Werrington 21 1 4 - 
			 Wetherby 11 - 1 - 
			 Whitemoor 3 - - - 
			 Winchester 7 1 1 - 
			 Woodhill 11 - 3 - 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 3 2 1 - 
			 Wymott 2 - 1 - 
			 (1 )An incident at height is defined as any incident taking place over three feet from ground level and includes where prisoners have gained access to safety netting. (2) Active concerted indiscipline (e.g. prisoners actively attempt to stop staff from regaining control of a situation and may use violence). (3) Concerted indiscipline is when two or more prisoners act together in defiance of a lawful instruction or against the requirements of the regime of the establishment. (4) Passive concerted indiscipline (e.g. sit-down protest with no violence involved).  Notes: 1. These figures have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. 2. These figures may change should any further incidents relating to this period be identified and reported to NOMS.

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people who have breached a suspended sentence  (a) received and  (b) did not receive an immediate custodial sentence in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: Data are not held centrally on outcomes of breaches of suspended sentence orders. However, data are available on the reasons for termination of suspended sentence orders during the supervision period of the order. These reasons include early termination for failure to comply with requirements or for conviction of a further offence.
	Out of 43,783 suspended sentence orders (of all lengths) terminated in 2009, there were 5,392 failures to comply with requirements and 6,988 convictions for a further offence.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Speed Limits: Fixed Penalties

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much revenue was received from fixed penalty notices issued in respect of speeding offences in each police force area in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested on the amount of revenue received from fixed penalty notices for speeding offences is not collected by the Home Office. However, data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for speeding by police force area are provided in table A for years 1997 to 2008. The fixed penalty for speeding is £60 but in these data whether the fixed penalties has been paid is not identified.
	Data on fixed penalty notices for 2009 are due to be published in April 2011.
	
		
			  Number of fixed penalty notices issued for speed limit offences by police force area, England and Wales, 1997 to 2008 
			  Total FPNS for speed limit offences 
			  Police force  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002 
			 Avon and Somerset 7,294 18,327 25,897 36,122 30,339 53,846 
			 Bedfordshire 8,700 10,255 18,008 16,707 13,415 40,338 
			 Cambridgeshire 14,837 13,818 14,562 8,708 6,777 15,435 
			 Cheshire 10,765 23,196 16,393 15,356 16,694 13,578 
			 Cleveland 3,239 10,734 7,717 23,228 24,160 25,264 
			 Cumbria 4,882 4,919 5,058 4,103 3,649 5,797 
			 Derbyshire 17,438 22,785 21,771 18,291 24,949 71,965 
			 Devon and Cornwall 36,150 32,757 33,682 28,091 33,389 31,144 
			 Dorset 11,172 14,738 14,815 18,305 19,605 18,686 
			 Durham 3,213 3,930 4,586 9,180 14,156 7,697 
			 Dyfed-Powys 6,708 9,272 8,222 8,840 6,868 12,343 
			 Essex 48,123 19,282 38,097 56,010 87,038 101,063 
			 Gloucestershire 6,260 8,714 6,268 5,781 4,097 3,898 
			 Greater Manchester 54,694 51,145 64,318 59,765 50,448 35,861 
			 Gwent 5,263 4,214 2,050 16,518 13,209 2,960 
			 Hampshire 27,460 34,555 46,709 27,566 28,995 31,867 
			 Hertfordshire 17,604 14,063 25,687 23,956 23,474 23,203 
			 Humberside 9,735 13,759 12,671 22,209 17,228 13,399 
			 Kent 28,706 28,009 18,954 24,617 23,044 36,645 
			 Lancashire 23,813 32,810 35,335 29,683 27,993 158,163 
			 Leicestershire 5,612 9,729 8,791 8,094 7,750 17,903 
			 Lincolnshire 6,588 12,368 17,913 26,319 31,487 27,490 
			 London, City of 520 907 2,423 353 713 4,782 
			 Merseyside 11,808 15,373 15,968 7,385 4,100 6,484 
			 Metropolitan Police 45,488 36,690 32,061 54,843 58,412 53,334 
			 Norfolk 4,895 5,379 9,267 4,783 5,166 17,116 
			 North Wales 9,146 9,920 11,141 16,980 20,245 44,459 
			 North Yorkshire 11,679 9,924 6,908 5,295 7,436 5,412 
			 Northamptonshire 3,722 8,836 7,772 34,809 79,627 60,459 
			 Northumbria 25,693 34,918 37,472 24,265 40,726 41,050 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,625 6,289 5,512 23,766 24,556 35,771 
			 South Wales 22,227 27,464 28,850 54,383 75,224 61,948 
			 South Yorkshire 39,062 31,585 23,544 20,987 21,566 16,096 
			 Staffordshire 22,552 22,044 14,656 13,969 20,372 29,094 
			 Suffolk 7,271 12,640 18,088 12,596 12,416 9,477 
			 Surrey 5,340 10,252 11,035 12,072 10,424 6,052 
			 Sussex 25,124 24,862 22,370 24,990 18,513 23,550 
			 Thames Valley 53,285 62,827 46,034 71,888 154,524 121,677 
			 Warwickshire 1,857 2,510 2,745 2,099 3,136 14,999 
			 West Mercia 15,392 15,502 18,478 22,150 30,504 29,098 
			 West Midlands 9,378 11,586 9,546 5,668 15,806 17,762 
			 West Yorkshire 24,103 29,635 24,791 24,595 20,937 32,126 
			 Wiltshire 11,330 8,494 9,319 16,351 17,941 27,975 
			 England and Wales 712,753 781,016 805,484 941,676 1,151,108 1,407,266 
		
	
	
		
			  Total FPNS for speed limit offences 
			  Police force  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Avon and Somerset 99,405 85,331 67,933 52,606 57,746 53,069 
			 Bedfordshire 66,709 56,762 44,736 48,407 30,029 19,884 
			 Cambridgeshire 28,510 19,802 44,997 20,502 25,371 22,548 
			 Cheshire 29,564 40,306 25,056 28,570 26,992 23,032 
			 Cleveland 24,729 19,939 24,912 19,044 13,951 11,017 
			 Cumbria 24,692 31,531 27,441 32,023 29,096 30,774 
			 Derbyshire 44,517 44,412 30,905 31,484 22,389 16,652 
			 Devon and Cornwall 63,916 91,662 53,474 42,467 62,549 49,234 
			 Dorset 63,185 71,832 79,522 51,599 36,900 26,086 
			 Durham 6,538 4,184 2,816 2,817 3,138 3,531 
			 Dyfed-Powys 3,072 2,221 1,435 1,054 1,654 1,713 
			 Essex 66,281 68,852 85,745 60,705 44,796 25,956 
			 Gloucestershire 3,139 4,913 10,849 13,406 9,380 7,547 
			 Greater Manchester 44,903 43,531 59,478 60,283 42,609 37,330 
			 Gwent 1,013 859 506 531 507 384 
			 Hampshire 45,324 52,587 58,750 49,404 49,324 36,719 
			 Hertfordshire 28,696 61,637 49,738 81,805 41,593 34,945 
			 Humberside 25,755 52,288 48,494 36,718 34,184 21,993 
			 Kent 54,594 66,661 53,289 47,179 51,438 25,208 
			 Lancashire 96,660 63,233 63,568 57,658 55,167 41,678 
			 Leicestershire 45,417 26,357 7,281 24,605 20,634 15,506 
			 Lincolnshire 27,970 29,258 32,613 25,750 24,849 26,834 
			 London, City of 4,864 6,358 10,275 5,089 2,785 3,082 
			 Merseyside 8,883 8,058 18,411 33,049 26,601 34,894 
			 Metropolitan Police 80,213 104,920 126,426 102,482 73,738 94,955 
			 Norfolk 31,640 26,938 25,117 25,346 24,878 20,359 
			 North Wales 61,645 51,069 74,485 59,491 42,537 29,327 
			 North Yorkshire 5,836 5,971 4,923 51,880 38,504 39,410 
			 Northamptonshire 49,902 49,108 47,866 5,256 7,748 7,779 
			 Northumbria 69,018 94,319 55,708 42,242 25,283 14,716 
			 Nottinghamshire 53,276 53,188 53,696 42,917 34,750 32,975 
			 South Wales 65,852 45,343 45,189 33,208 40,426 48,453 
			 South Yorkshire 51,418 42,635 65,352 51,462 37,911 8,014 
			 Staffordshire 47,565 41,249 46,219 50,823 31,547 35,269 
			 Suffolk 16,606 40,847 40,029 34,442 30,378 34,678 
			 Surrey 7,057 8,200 17,509 39,520 28,941 27,366 
			 Sussex 60,364 45,619 58,606 48,627 46,832 37,632 
			 Thames Valley 123,586 92,834 97,049 137,312 54,385 53,909 
			 Warwickshire 27,737 34,206 40,401 30,316 27,468 18,794 
			 West Mercia 78,408 57,844 53,711 46,213 54,975 52,109 
			 West Midlands 43,542 58,052 46,612 44,497 45,357 34,620 
			 West Yorkshire 70,011 68,827 66,031 49,528 41,386 37,177 
			 Wiltshire 42,738 50,641 52,412 51,458 36,959 30,338 
			 England and Wales 1,894,750 1,924,384 1,919,565 1,773,775 1,437,685 1,227,496

Young Offenders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what dates he has met the Secretary of State for  (a) Education and  (b) Communities and Local Government to discuss the resettlement of young offenders since May 2010.

Crispin Blunt: I met the Under-Secretary of State for Education, the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton), on 7 September 2010 and we will be meeting again on 30 March to discuss youth justice issues, including resettlement of young offenders.
	I have yet to meet with Ministers in the Department for Communities and Local Government but my officials have been working closely with colleagues there, on the implications of the localism agenda for locally devolved Youth Offending Teams.
	We recognise that young people leaving custody are some of the most vulnerable young people in our society and that their effective resettlement is critical to breaking the cycle of offending. Young offenders have complex and wide ranging problems which require intensive support and access to services which can directly address their offending behaviour.
	The recent Green Paper proposals set out how we are considering introducing elements of payment by results into youth justice to incentivise local authorities to reduce youth offending, of which resettlement is a key part.

Young Offenders: Sentencing

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) 15,  (b) 16 and  (c) 17-year-olds were given custodial sentences in each police force area since 2007; and what the average length of sentence was.

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants aged 15 to 17 sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence and the average custodial sentence length and other sentences at all courts by police force area, England and Wales, 2007-09 (latest available) is provided in the tables.
	Data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring of 2011.
	
		
			  Number of defendants aged 15 to 17 given an immediate custodial sentence, average custodial sentence length( 1)  and other sentences at all courts, by police force area, England & Wales, 2007 - 09( 2, 3) 
			   2007  2008( 5) 
			  Police force area and age  Immediate custody  Average custodial sentence length (months)  Other sentences( 4)  Sentenced  Immediate custody  Average custodial sentence length (months)  Other sentences( 4)  Sentenced 
			  Avon and Somerset 
			 15 28 8.3 454 482 18 8.8 349 367 
			 16 27 7.8 567 594 32 8.8 483 515 
			 17 54 8.2 729 783 55 15.1 669 724 
			  
			  Bedfordshire 
			 15 8 8.5 134 142 6 8.7 130 136 
			 16 24 8.5 215 239 17 16.9 156 173 
			 17 31 10.3 223 254 30 16.0 231 261 
			  
			  Cambridgeshire 
			 15 11 6.2 204 215 12 10.3 189 201 
			 16 25 6.5 283 308 23 11.0 274 297 
			 17 26 8.1 328 354 31 14.4 286 317 
			  
			  Cheshire 
			 15 18 6.8 313 331 15 11.2 272 287 
			 16 42 9.1 401 443 28 8.2 358 386 
			 17 46 11.1 547 593 47 12.9 470 517 
			  
			  City of London 
			 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - 
			 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - 
			 17 0 0 5 5 0 0 8 8 
			  
			  Cleveland 
			 15 7 6.9 309 316 9 9.7 252 261 
			 16 20 8.0 336 356 15 13.6 406 421 
			 17 30 12.4 410 440 42 11.5 444 486 
			  
			  Cumbria 
			 15 15 4.5 295 310 8 8.8 252 260 
			 16 23 7.9 341 364 20 7.8 311 331 
			 17 30 6.8 351 381 33 7.8 363 396 
			  
			  Derbyshire 
			 15 22 5.9 335 357 35 6.1 301 336 
			 16 28 9.7 411 439 24 8.9 354 378 
			 17 66 9.6 542 608 49 10.9 518 567 
			  
			  Devon and Cornwall 
			 15 2 4.0 439 441 5 14.0 382 387 
			 16 2 9.0 618 620 13 17.4 545 558 
			 17 17 24.7 747 764 25 14.4 747 772 
			  
			  Dorset 
			 15 - - 168 168 1 72.0 132 133 
			 16 7 5.7 265 272 2 36.0 178 180 
			 17 12 11.8 364 376 13 16.2 268 281 
			  
			  Durham 
			 15 8 6.5 312 320 11 8.0 207 218 
			 16 20 7.2 428 448 20 8.5 343 363 
			 17 27 10.3 571 598 16 9.3 414 430 
			  
			  Essex 
			 15 26 6.3 471 497 12 7.5 458 470 
			 16 41 8.1 680 721 40 9.3 580 620 
			 17 61 10.1 893 954 82 9.1 789 871 
			  
			  Gloucestershire 
			 15 9 13.2 187 196 1 8.0 149 150 
			 16 14 14.1 201 215 10 15.6 185 195 
			 17 10 14.6 305 315 18 12.7 315 333 
			  
			  Greater Manchester 
			 15 92 9.5 1,313 1,405 81 9.2 1,048 1,129 
			 16 160 11.9 1,573 1,733 124 9.2 1,330 1,454 
			 17 210 11.1 1,579 1,789 198 11.2 1,558 1,756 
			  
			  Hampshire 
			 15 41 9.3 802 843 28 8.7 595 623 
			 16 70 8.5 1,019 1,089 59 10.0 961 1,020 
			 17 89 10.0 1,231 1,320 86 9.1 1,196 1,282 
			  
			  Hertfordshire 
			 15 4 5.5 235 239 12 8.8 225 237 
			 16 12 5.5 298 310 15 9.1 302 317 
			 17 28 9.7 457 485 26 10.7 433 459 
			  
			  Humberside 
			 15 15 8.5 432 447 20 11.8 377 397 
			 16 52 11.2 494 546 36 9.8 482 518 
			 17 59 11.9 569 628 46 11.3 477 523 
			  
			  Kent 
			 15 22 11.3 483 505 16 11.5 432 448 
			 16 44 8.6 622 666 28 9.4 565 593 
			 17 81 10.4 746 827 51 11.1 663 714 
			  
			  Lancashire 
			 15 34 9.8 631 665 32 11.6 529 561 
			 16 50 10.8 916 966 47 11.2 753 800 
			 17 68 11.7 1,068 1,136 67 11.5 941 1,008 
			  
			  Leicestershire 
			 15 21 7.5 318 339 15 5.6 246 261 
			 16 36 9.1 435 471 32 9.8 394 426 
			 17 44 9.2 558 602 39 9.6 426 465 
			  
			  Lincolnshire 
			 15 4 9.0 122 126 2 25.0 119 121 
			 16 7 10.6 194 201 6 6.7 207 213 
			 17 18 7.5 338 356 13 14.4 300 313 
			  
			  Merseyside 
			 15 42 7.5 515 557 29 13.4 452 481 
			 16 73 8.6 778 851 45 12.9 717 762 
			 17 101 10.4 926 1,027 100 14.4 864 964 
			  
			  Metropolitan police 
			 15 173 10.3 2,540 2,713 191 12.9 2,276 2,467 
			 16 235 10.7 3,313 3,548 316 12.5 3,122 3,438 
			 17 470 13.6 3,971 4,441 495 13.9 4,098 4,593 
			  
			  Norfolk 
			 15 2 12.0 187 189 16 8.3 182 198 
			 16 16 8.4 292 308 17 8.8 271 288 
			 17 17 12.0 368 385 19 11.4 406 425 
			  
			  North Yorkshire 
			 15 13 8.9 306 319 4 6.0 228 232 
			 16 14 11.3 351 365 20 12.4 312 332 
			 17 28 10.3 449 477 26 11.3 448 474 
			  
			  Northamptonshire 
			 15 17 7.8 138 155 16 8.8 143 159 
			 16 26 10.3 148 174 20 11.3 203 223 
			 17 56 10.2 213 269 25 10.7 240 265 
			  
			  Northumbria 
			 15 22 8.9 970 992 16 10.3 820 836 
			 16 48 10.2 1,238 1,286 37 8.7 1,085 1,122 
			 17 57 8.3 1,473 1,530 53 9.4 1,298 1,351 
			  
			  Nottinghamshire 
			 15 32 11.7 359 391 21 8.3 302 323 
			 16 42 12.4 517 559 28 13.3 413 441 
			 17 69 12.0 601 670 78 12.5 561 639 
			  
			  South Yorkshire 
			 15 29 6.9 516 545 28 11.6 457 485 
			 16 52 10.5 568 620 59 12.3 534 593 
			 17 62 10.4 667 729 70 13.3 762 832 
			  
			  Staffordshire 
			 15 11 11.0 332 343 9 8.2 219 228 
			 16 22 10.5 380 402 25 12.0 345 370 
			 17 29 10.8 498 527 38 13.2 517 555 
			  
			  Suffolk 
			 15 17 8.0 231 248 8 6.8 192 200 
			 16 25 8.0 335 360 21 8.7 301 322 
			 17 32 9.8 476 508 33 11.0 395 428 
			  
			  Surrey 
			 15 6 5.7 181 187 3 4.0 149 152 
			 16 8 11.8 278 286 3 4.0 281 284 
			 17 11 12.9 413 424 16 17.4 386 402 
			  
			  Sussex 
			 15 16 10.1 536 552 12 10.9 445 457 
			 16 22 13.7 669 691 26 11.7 586 612 
			 17 46 13.9 800 846 45 17.6 691 736 
			  
			  Thames Valley 
			 15 14 12.9 444 458 16 5.7 475 491 
			 16 64 9.4 688 752 31 11.1 590 621 
			 17 75 9.8 899 974 58 11.5 885 943 
			  
			  Warwickshire 
			 15 3 8.0 119 122 3 14.0 95 98 
			 16 9 9.3 219 228 5 15.6 148 153 
			 17 22 14.5 225 247 16 13.4 209 225 
			  
			  West Mercia 
			 15 12 6.5 345 357 14 10.1 317 331 
			 16 33 7.8 475 508 22 10.4 430 452 
			 17 38 11.6 751 789 45 7.2 627 672 
			  
			  West Midlands 
			 15 66 8.5 923 989 63 9.5 822 885 
			 16 126 11.9 1,355 1,481 121 11.1 1,110 1,231 
			 17 166 14.1 1,715 1,881 210 12.2 1,427 1,637 
			  
			  West Yorkshire 
			 15 56 8.5 798 854 58 8.8 823 881 
			 16 124 10.1 984 1,108 86 10.0 884 970 
			 17 148 12.2 1,016 1,164 152 13.8 1,141 1,293 
			  
			  Wiltshire 
			 15 4 9.0 134 138 6 11.0 122 128 
			 16 4 11.5 176 180 4 9.5 200 204 
			 17 11 8.9 285 296 9 16.0 232 241 
			  
			  Dyfed-Powys 
			 15 2 8.0 140 142 2 7.0 109 111 
			 16 8 5.5 188 196 5 17.4 199 204 
			 17 19 7.3 248 267 9 5.8 252 261 
			  
			  Gwent 
			 15 12 6.2 196 208 6 17.3 154 160 
			 16 12 5.5 306 318 15 9.9 242 257 
			 17 32 7.7 387 419 26 11.8 315 341 
			  
			  North Wales 
			 15 17 8.0 218 235 13 9.6 211 224 
			 16 24 10.1 266 290 28 8.3 265 293 
			 17 29 9.4 292 321 35 7.3 310 345 
			  
			  South Wales 
			 15 16 8.5 323 339 16 21.8 273 289 
			 16 47 8.1 532 579 52 15.1 458 510 
			 17 85 10.3 707 792 72 13.7 573 645 
			  
			  Wales 
			 15 47 7.7 877 924 37 16.0 747 784 
			 16 91 8.1 1,292 1,383 100 12.6 1,164 1,264 
			 17 165 9.3 1,634 1,799 142 11.3 1,450 1,592 
			  
			  England 
			 15 922 8.9 17,531 18,453 852 10.3 15,163 16,015 
			 16 1,647 10.1 23,061 24,708 1,477 11.0 20,699 22,176 
			 17 2,445 11.5 28,307 30,752 2,455 12.4 26,703 29,158 
		
	
	
		
			   2009 
			  Police force area and age  Immediate custody  Average custodial sentence length (months)  Other sentences( 4)  Sentenced 
			  Avon  and  Somerset 
			 15 23 10.0 363 386 
			 16 38 10.5 446 484 
			 17 59 10.5 540 599 
			  
			  Bedfordshire 
			 15 6 6.0 120 126 
			 16 7 10.3 172 179 
			 17 18 9.0 235 253 
			  
			  Cambridgeshire 
			 15 12 13.0 211 223 
			 16 12 9.2 238 250 
			 17 33 11.6 298 331 
			  
			  Cheshire 
			 15 13 9.3 215 228 
			 16 28 12.4 284 312 
			 17 54 12.8 406 460 
			  
			  City of London 
			 15 0 0 0 0 
			 16 0 0 0 0 
			 17 0 0 2 2 
			  
			  Cleveland 
			 15 18 6.9 296 314 
			 16 24 6.9 349 373 
			 17 33 12.3 432 465 
			  
			  Cumbria 
			 15 4 6.5 170 174 
			 16 7 5.1 217 224 
			 17 28 7.4 375 403 
			  
			  Derbyshire 
			 15 17 9.9 253 270 
			 16 44 11.6 353 397 
			 17 54 9.4 424 478 
			  
			  Devon and Cornwall 
			 15 7 8.0 306 313 
			 16 26 10.3 491 517 
			 17 34 12.5 750 784 
			  
			  Dorset 
			 15 2 4.0 103 105 
			 16 1 4.0 200 201 
			 17 5 14.8 266 271 
			  
			  Durham 
			 15 2 5.0 187 189 
			 16 12 12.5 289 301 
			 17 25 10.3 420 445 
			  
			  Essex 
			 15 18 5.2 457 475 
			 16 25 9.0 603 628 
			 17 71 12.2 837 908 
			  
			  Gloucestershire 
			 15 3 5.3 115 118 
			 16 8 17.5 190 198 
			 17 5 39.0 231 236 
			  
			  Greater Manchester 
			 15 62 8.6 916 978 
			 16 99 11.4 1,288 1,387 
			 17 162 10.2 1,601 1,763 
			  
			  Hampshire 
			 15 29 7.1 639 668 
			 16 41 9.0 780 821 
			 17 85 11.8 1,040 1,125 
			  
			  Hertfordshire 
			 15 3 12.0 225 228 
			 16 15 10.1 289 304 
			 17 30 10.9 400 430 
			  
			  Humberside 
			 15 26 9.0 362 388 
			 16 30 12.7 429 459 
			 17 47 14.4 573 620 
			  
			  Kent 
			 15 15 11.2 472 487 
			 16 39 8.9 529 568 
			 17 62 11.8 707 769 
			  
			  Lancashire 
			 15 22 11.0 622 644 
			 16 48 8.5 738 786 
			 17 60 8.9 954 1,014 
			  
			  Leicestershire 
			 15 13 6.9 192 205 
			 16 26 7.6 235 261 
			 17 32 12.6 361 393 
			  
			  Lincolnshire 
			 15 8 5.8 106 114 
			 16 9 12.0 192 201 
			 17 21 8.7 287 308 
			  
			  Merseyside 
			 15 37 14.4 492 529 
			 16 60 12.4 630 690 
			 17 82 14.4 891 973 
			  
			  Metropolitan police 
			 15 135 10.2 2,264 2,399 
			 16 239 14.5 3,039 3,278 
			 17 426 14.1 3,755 4,181 
			  
			  Norfolk 
			 15 9 9.1 199 208 
			 16 11 10.4 236 247 
			 17 17 13.4 328 345 
			  
			  North Yorkshire 
			 15 6 9.7 210 216 
			 16 12 16.2 328 340 
			 17 32 9.6 424 456 
			  
			  Northamptonshire 
			 15 7 4.9 138 145 
			 16 21 9.5 194 215 
			 17 34 12.8 232 266 
			  
			  Northumbria 
			 15 15 10.7 724 739 
			 16 28 7.7 943 971 
			 17 61 9.1 1,266 1,327 
			  
			  Nottinghamshire 
			 15 27 8.3 255 282 
			 16 30 10.4 382 412 
			 17 67 14.4 587 654 
			  
			  South Yorkshire 
			 15 23 10.6 381 404 
			 16 47 9.7 503 550 
			 17 78 13.7 698 776 
			  
			  Staffordshire 
			 15 8 10.3 171 179 
			 16 22 13.4 255 277 
			 17 53 10.4 392 445 
			  
			  Suffolk 
			 15 7 7.1 195 202 
			 16 9 5.6 295 304 
			 17 29 8.6 399 428 
			  
			  Surrey 
			 15 5 20.0 162 167 
			 16 9 24.0 282 291 
			 17 17 11.8 387 404 
			  
			  Sussex 
			 15 16 10.8 371 387 
			 16 28 12.5 519 547 
			 17 33 9.6 694 727 
			  
			  Thames Valley 
			 15 18 7.2 406 424 
			 16 32 11.3 571 603 
			 17 50 10.8 775 825 
			  
			  Warwickshire 
			 15 1 18.0 67 68 
			 16 5 10.8 111 116 
			 17 7 14.6 194 201 
			  
			  West Mercia 
			 15 12 8.3 314 326 
			 16 19 10.3 373 392 
			 17 31 9.5 463 494 
			  
			  West Midlands 
			 15 58 8.4 631 689 
			 16 102 12.2 1,028 1,130 
			 17 189 13.4 1,344 1,533 
			  
			  West Yorkshire 
			 15 44 9.0 683 727 
			 16 97 10.0 1,011 1,108 
			 17 114 12.8 1,100 1,214 
			  
			  Wiltshire 
			 15 6 5.0 158 164 
			 16 8 9.5 197 205 
			 17 16 15.4 285 301 
			  
			  Dyfed-Powys 
			 15 3 10.0 92 95 
			 16 6 11.3 149 155 
			 17 12 8.2 282 294 
			  
			  Gwent 
			 15 10 7.0 143 153 
			 16 14 6.7 238 252 
			 17 14 7.9 309 323 
			  
			  North Wales 
			 15 11 7.1 203 214 
			 16 22 7.1 266 288 
			 17 39 8.1 353 392 
			  
			  South Wales 
			 15 23 13.4 369 392 
			 16 41 8.9 458 499 
			 17 85 10.0 723 808 
			  
			  Wales 
			 15 47 10.3 807 854 
			 16 83 8.2 1,111 1,194 
			 17 150 9.2 1,667 1,817 
			  
			  England 
			 15 737 9.3 14,151 14,888 
			 16 1,318 11.4 19,209 20,527 
			 17 2,254 12.2 25,353 27,607 
			 (1) Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Other sentences include: absolute and conditional discharge, fine, community sentence, suspended sentence and otherwise dealt with. (5) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.